Copywriting is about writing to sell
It’s where you explain, provide proof, and persuade the reader to take that next step.
The world’s best copywriters aren’t necessarily the world’s greatest writers. But they’re always great salespeople.
They use the written word to persuade other people to take a specific action.
You’re already in a good position to write effective copy. You understand your market and you understand your offering. All you have to do is to put what you know in writing.
So let’s get cracking!
5 tested and true pieces of copywriting advice to help you get off on the right foot
Allow yourself double the amount of time you think you’ll need.
Close your door and turn off your phone. Quit email, Slack and anything else that sends notifications. You need focus and flow to write. Interruptions will destroy both.
There’s only one place on a website where it’s fine to talk about “we” and “us” and that’s your About page. Everywhere else should be about “you”—your reader.
Finished writing your copy? Congratulations! You’ve just completed a first draft. Now go back and start polishing it. Never hit Publish on a first draft. Everybody’s first drafts always suck.
When you’ve polished your copy to within an inch of its life, read it out loud. Note the parts that stick and sound awkward. Re-work them until they’re seamless and smooth.
5 top tips for great headings
Digital audiences scan before they read, so give your headings the attention they deserve.
A heading has only one job: to be so interesting, compelling and relevant that it persuades someone to read the next bit of copy. That’s it! No worries!
Actually, no.
Just because they’re brief doesn’t mean headings are easy to write! But they’re definitely something you want to get right, so make sure you allow plenty of time. And check out these tips. We hope they help :)
1. Write the heading last
Most people try to write the heading first, get bogged down and then give up. Write the body copy first so you’re all good and warmed up. Then have a crack at the headings.
2. Create multiple versions
Try for at least 10 (pro copywriters usually create a minimum of 25).
3. Optimise every heading with a keyword
Search engines pay attention to headings and some sub-headings, so make sure you’re not missing the opportunity for a potential customer to find you.
4. Tailor the length of your headline to the purpose of the copy
The optimal length for web page headings is around six words. You can get away with longer headings for blog post headings (around nine words if they’re short) but think about how the heading will look in search results. If it’s too long, it’ll exceed the character limit and be chopped off.
5. Run your heading versions through an analyser
Use isitWP or MonsterInsights to help you decide which of your versions has the most impact.
Write effective button copy & CTAs
Button copy and calls to action (CTAs) are opportunities to close a sale or get a booking. Make sure they’re crystal clear!
People often don’t know what to write when it comes to button copy. That’s why you see so many homepage buttons that read “Learn more”. But think about it from the reader’s standpoint... who really wants to “learn more”? Learning takes time and commitment. It’s work.
People visit your website because they hope you can solve a problem for them. You’re the one meant to be doing the work, not them!
Your calls to action should be simple and clear, so your reader knows exactly what’s being asked of them. They’re meant to guide the reader to what’s next. The process should be as easy and frictionless as possible.
Tips and examples
1. The language in the button copy should reflect the headline of the section it’s in
B2C (Business to Consumer) brands
Pic’s Peanut Butter—heading reads: Book a free tour
Button copy reads: Book tour
Whittaker’s Chocolate—heading reads: Our chocolate
Button copy reads: Browse our chocolate
B2B (Business to Business) brands
Beany NZ—heading reads: Packages from $125 per month
Button copy reads: Packages & pricing
Xero—heading reads: Start using Xero for Free
Button copy reads: Start your free trial
2. Think of button copy and CTAs as finishing one of these two sentences
Here’s another way to think about CTAs. Note that both these sentences are from the visitor’s perspective, not yours :).
Whether you use one version or the other will depend on your brand’s tone and voice, and what you’re offering.
Sentence A: “I want to...”
Sentence B: “I want you to...”
Sentence A button copy examples
(I want to...)
Get [a] quote
Book [a] tour
Get started
Sentence B button copy examples
(I want you to...)
Paint my house
Walk my dog
Do my books
3. When NOT to change button copy/CTAs
On Sales/Shop pages. Stick to the tried and tested: “Add to Cart”, “Continue” and “Checkout”. They’re what your reader will expect—and point of sale is not the place to surprise them.
Body copy: why it's vital!
Body copy is the workhorse of your content.
Headings grab attention. Calls to action show the next step you want your reader to take. And in between them is your body copy.
How much body copy to write
This depends on two things:
Where on the site it’s going
What you want the reader to do next
If you’re writing homepage copy and you want the reader to click through to a product/services or sales page, you should write just enough to get them interested and willing to take that step. You don’t need to give them the whole story. That’s the job of the page that you want them to visit next.
If you’re selling a high-ticket service, your sales and About pages will probably contain the most body copy.
If you’re selling a product, the amount of body copy you’ll need will be directly related to the product’s price and exclusivity. High volume/low margin products typically don’t need as much as artisanal products charging a premium.
Less is more
Say everything you need to say in as few words as possible. Don’t waffle—especially on your About page when it’s most tempting!
Keep your paragraphs short: 2–3 sentences max. Your reader may be looking at your site on their phone and large blocks of text are off-putting.