Putting Words to Work | Writing Your Website
What happens when someone reads your website? Do they click off on the homepage? Do they get through one or two articles and then bounce? Aside from a cool design, the copy on your site has a lot of work to do, sometimes before you even get to say, “Hello!” The good news? There’s a lot you can do to influence what your visitor does next.
Web Copy is an Art Form
You may not be thinking that Amazon's webpage is up there with Monet. But how many sprinkler heads and snuggle bunnies have you bought from the Louvre?
Copy is poetry, whether we admit it or not. For better or worse, most of us these days will choose scrolling through a site rather than a book, no matter how tired we are. You know when you've hit upon a site that's written well.
The first message draws you in. There's headline or a call-to-action that gets your finger on the track pad and entices you to scroll a little further.
You know what you're doing there. You don't read a block of copy and still wonder what you're looking for, or how to find it. You don't spend too long figuring out where to go next.
You feel the story. You connect emotionally. It touches a nerve and sparks curiosity while giving you a sense of drive. Things feel intuitive. The story's driving you to the next piece of info.
The voice is clear. And it's consistent across all the pages. It's a voice you hear in your head, as if someone is speaking to you. It envelops you.
Writing a site is not an easy task—and it's not something that everyone does well. Even in the days of AI, a reader can instinctively tell when a robot pieced copy together versus someone with a story to tell.
And the sites that do it well stand out.
Masterclass
Masterclass's pre-login page—is there any question about what you're here to do?
"Learn from the best, be your best."
It's a clear, driving, motivational headline. From the imagery, you see immediately who "the best" refers to. Neil Degrasse Tyson, Gordon Ramsay, Issa Rae. The best are the people you admire and inspire to be. And you get to learn from them. And that one line of body copy below tells you that you get unlimited access to them.
Lunar Wheel
A catchy headline draws you in: it's the quietest wheel in the universe. Amazing. But what's it for? Just scroll to the next section, and Lunar Wheel's website will tell you in no uncertain terms.
Look at the keywords used. "4-and 2-wheeled cabin size." Now, you've got an image in your head. Not of the wheel, but of a trip. Vacation. The trip you've always wanted to take. And you'll take it smoothly and quietly.
The word "easiest" is tucked into the subhead. You're not sure what it means yet, but you know how you feel about the word "easy." It sounds amazing. The body copy ends with a question. All you have to do is scroll to find the answer—increasing your time spent on page.
Emma
"A strategic social media and marketing studio."
"A common vision."
"Connect clients with their audiences."
"A gentle, rebellion, studio"
"Content is fire but social media is gasoline."
I know exactly where I am and what I'm going to be looking at. I get a fantastic sense of the agency's atmosphere is. And I can already envision the type of content they're getting ready to create for me.
Clarity. Story. Voice. Written with minimal copy and a lot of white space.
Now how do you do that for yourself?
Putting Your Words to Work
Grab your reader's attention.
Give them a great headline. That first message hooks your readers from the very start. That doesn't mean you have to spell everything out for them. Lunar's first line doesn't tell you much, but it tells it clearly, creates intrigue, and keeps you scrolling.
A skilled copywriter can help you craft that compelling headline that stops your readers from clicking away and making them want to learn more.
Speak to your target.
With that brand voice in play, it's clear who Emma is speaking to—press and potential clients. The same goes for you. If you're selling baby toys, you don't write in the voice of a lawyer. If you're building a recipe app, don't use corporate jargon.
These voices are built through research and rewriting. A good writer learns your target audience, gains insights from user reviews, blogs, and especially your team to understand the audience's needs, desires, and pain points. Then, they create that voice that speaks your audience's language, builds an emotional connection, and that strengthens trust.
Don't write four words when two work.
What do you think when someone says, "Let me explain." The same is true online. The more copy you have, the less clear your message is. You have seconds to engage a user before they check the next tab. In a world full of ADHD and endless distractions, clarity is key. A good writer crafts your copy to be clean, concise, and on point. No jargon, no fluff – just messaging that communicates precisely what you offer and why your reader needs it.
Write for SEO without sounding optimized.
Yes, you want to rank on Google. But you don’t want your message to read like a keyword-stuffed AI wrote it. A professional copywriter knows how to balance SEO with readability. So your site gets found without sacrificing your brand's voice. Copywriters understand the nuances of keyword placement, meta descriptions, and internal linking – all while keeping the copy engaging and true to your brand.
Drive the action.
Ultimately, your site exists to serve a purpose. Your reader is there to do something. Whether it's to sign up for a newsletter, book a consultation, or buy something, your copy needs to guide visitors toward the next step. A writer helps you create those strong calls-to-action that feel natural and motivate visitors to act.
And yes, in the right context, even a simple "Learn more" can do wonders. After all, it’s not about the words you use. It’s about putting them to work in a way that gets your message across in the right way to the right audience.
And then making magic happen.
Let’s get to work.
Want to put your copy to work? Let's chat. I'll help you build a landing page, blog posts, marketing materials or an entire website that connects your voice to the right audience.
