Successful websites ensure design and copy work together as a team.
Good design entices visitors with visual appeal, guiding them through a website, while great copy does the heavy lifting, providing context, persuading, and ultimately converting website visitors into paying clients or customers. Even the most visually stunning website can fall flat without compelling copy, leaving visitors intrigued but uninformed.
Effective copy communicates the brand’s message, establishes trust, and conveys value. It guides users through the website, answering questions, addressing pain points, and encouraging action. In essence, it breathes life into the design, creating an emotional connection with website visitors.
- When website design and copy align seamlessly, users are more likely to engage with your website, spending more time exploring and interacting with your brand
- Effective combinations of design elements and persuasive copy in headlines, body copy, and call-to-action buttons lead to higher click-through rates (CTR)
- A user-centric design combined with compelling copy creates a positive first impression, increasing the likelihood of visitor retention.
Great Copy Speaks Directly To Your Target Audience
Before you can speak directly to your target audience, you first need to understand them — their needs, pain points, frustrations, and what they desire by solving their problems. After you have a deeper understanding of your target audience, you can create great copy that speaks directly to them and resonates with their emotions.
Do this by conducting user surveys, hosting interviews, or mining reviews to gain insights into your target audience’s pain points, preferences, and expectations. Store this information in a spreadsheet or document and reference it any time you’re working on copy for your business.
Great Copy Captures Attention And Communicates Value
Great copy is your first chance to capture a visitor’s interest and convey the value your product or service offers. After you’ve got them hooked, visitors are more likely to stay on your website longer and explore your offers. Not only does this make a great first impression, it also increases the chances of converting them into customers.
Do this by crafting compelling headlines and subheadings that grab the attention of website visitors. Combine these with attention-grabbing visuals, such as high-quality images or videos, to complement your message.
Great Copy Creates Emotional Connections
Persuasive copy has the power to evoke emotions, creating a deeper connection with your audience. When you appeal to your target audience’s emotions, you’re more likely to build trust and establish a relationship with them, which is essential for converting visitors into loyal customers.
Use storytelling techniques, such as creating relatable scenarios or using testimonials to evoke emotions in your website visitors to emphasize how your product or service can improve their lives and address their pain points. This makes a stronger emotional connection than when your copy only focuses on the features of your product or service.
Great Copy Is Clear And Provides Guidance
Clear and concise copy helps visitors learn something, clarify something, better understand what you offer, and guide them to the next best step. When the website copy is too long or convoluted, visitors may become confused and leave your website.
Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and simple language to make your message clear — no industry jargon!! Include descriptive call-to-action buttons that tell users what action they should take next if they’re ready to take action.
Great Copy Improves Conversion Rates
Copy quality can significantly impact conversion rates, ultimately leading to a higher return on investment (ROI) from your marketing efforts. By improving the persuasive power of your copy, you can grow your email list, increase inbound leads, and make more sales.
Clear, persuasive, and well-written microcopy can also improve the effectiveness of your calls to action and boost button click-through rates.
Conduct A/B testing to determine which design elements and text combinations are most effective at converting website visitors into customers. Continuously analyze and refine your copy to improve overall conversion rates over time.
Great Copy Ties Directly Into SEO
Well-optimized copy not only informs users but also improves search engine rankings, driving organic traffic to your site. By incorporating relevant keywords into meta descriptions, alt tags, page titles, and on-page website copy, you can increase the chances of your website appearing in top search results and new people discovering your services.
Get started by performing keyword research to identify relevant terms and phrases used by your target audience and incorporating those keywords naturally in your copy. Avoid keyword stuffing or writing for search engines. Always write for humans first and optimize for search engines second.
What Happens When a Website Focuses Only On Design?
A website that prioritizes design over copy may leave visitors confused, uninterested and likely to leave your site without taking any action. Even with a visually stunning design, if the copy fails to engage or communicate value effectively, then all the effort spent on designing your website could be wasted.
Some consequences of neglecting great copy on a website include:
- Reduced Engagement and High Bounce Rates:
A visually appealing design may capture attention initially, but without compelling copy to maintain interest, visitors may leave the website quickly, causing higher bounce rates. - Missed Conversion Opportunities:
Even with an attractive design, a lack of persuasive or clear copy can hinder the conversion process. While visitors may be intrigued by the aesthetics, they can hesitate to take action due to uncertainty about the product, service, or even the brand itself, resulting in missed sales or lead generation opportunities. - Ineffective SEO and Lower Online Visibility:
Search engines rely on textual content to understand and rank websites. If the copy on your website is insufficient or lacks relevant keywords, the website may not rank well, resulting in less organic traffic and the risk of not getting your website in front of those who need you the most.
You Didn’t Create Your Website To Sit There And Look Pretty
Your website has a job to do, and how well it can do its job is up to you.
- If you ignore employees, they will likely waste time, lose focus, and struggle to meet their objectives
- If you ignore your website, the same things happen — building it was a waste of time, no one visits it, and you don’t earn the conversions needed to hit your goals.
Good design and great copy work hand-in-hand to create an effective and engaging website to inform, persuade, and convert visitors into customers or clients. Just remember the Rule of One: One reader, one point, one call-to-action or next step.
A focused, well-balanced website aimed at the right audience (and ideal buyer) can help:
- Improve conversion rates, turning more visitors into paying clients or customers
- Increase revenue and profitability as new clients are converted and your existing clients engage more deeply with your business
- Build a stronger online presence, making it easier for potential clients to discover and engage with your business
Whether you work with a copywriter to write your website copy for you, partner with a copyeditor to polish up and get your rough drafts ready to publish, or DIY your website copy with some help from copywriting frameworks, one thing is clear: you must invest in quality, compelling website copy. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter how good the design is because pretty doesn’t convert.
Looking for help with your website copy? Check out my website copywriting packages.
