What is website copy?

Every website needs to say something. What makes website communication unique is that rich media (images, graphics, videos, links etc.) can beautify your pages and speak much louder than a plain text document.

However, the copy (text/words) on a web page still needs to be written first, and the media is then fashioned around it. We often say: “the design follows the text.” Design merely complements and highlights.

If you are looking for a copywriter to do the heavy lifting for you, look no further! Pathfind Media can write up a storm.

‍Read more about our copywriting service.

Here is how to write your own website copy:

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1. Start with deciding how many separate pages there will be by giving each a title (aka sitemap):

An example of this would be:

• Home: The first page people see when landing on your website
• About: Where your audience can read more about you
• Services: Explaining the solutions you offer
• Contact: Information on communicating with you

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2. After you’ve titled the separate pages of your website, you can consider these pre-writing questions:

• Whom am I writing to?
• What is the goal of this page?
• What keywords and phrases do I need to include for this page to rank on Google?

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3. Start writing content for each page like you would write an email to your audience.

Give the page a heading (something catchy and clear, which includes your primary keyword/phrase if possible)

The first paragraph to follow should be the ONE thing you want the reader to know. This ONE thing should be a summary of the rest of the page.

Then your sub-headings can list various other points, each having its own paragraph (and keywords/phrases within). You can use bulleted or numbered lists to make the content more palatable.

Each page should also include a call-to-action instructing, e.g.: “Call Us”, “Buy Now” or “Read More”.

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4. Lastly, go through the post-writing checklist and make sure you’ve ticked these boxes:

• Is the page content between 250 - 500 words?
• Are the headings clear and catchy?
• Is the information relevant to your target audience/customer? Does it address at least one of their problems and provoke them to take the next step (call-to-action)?
• Did you use short sentences and paragraphs? Did you break up pages into sub-groupings with their various sub-headings?
• Did you state your main point in the first paragraph?
• Did you dumb down the content to remove any difficult jargon your audience might not understand?
• Is the content conversational – e.g., are you addressing the reader as “you”?
• Is the content interesting?
• Is the text free of typos and grammatical errors? (Pro-tip: change the font type and size when you check for this – it reactivates your brain to pick up errors. Also, let someone else read it.)
• Are there clear calls-to-action?

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Now you know how to prepare your website copy.

Download our Microsoft Word document template to start writing.

Click here if you need to see some examples for inspiration.

Download Template