Website Copywriting: The #1 Secret Ingredient You Should Invest In

The Unsung Hero of High-Converting Websites: Why Website Copywriting Deserves More Appreciation.

Website copywriting matters. It matters a lot, actually — mostly because it comprises the grand majority of your website. Despite that, it’s unfortunately treated as an afterthought when building a website. Many tend to fixate on creating visually stunning websites while neglecting the very words that convey what your business does and tell your story. However, any seasoned web designer or digital marketer will tell you that the consequences of this oversight cannot be overstated.

Imagine your website is the featured play on Broadway — the stage design is immaculate, it’s perfectly lit, and your actors (your visuals and graphics) are all dressed to the nines and ready to go. But when the curtains rise, the audience (your visitors) are left in disbelief because the script sounds like something out of a botched pre-school performance. As parents, you’re still proud of your kids… but let’s be honest, you’re not exactly going to be getting any Tony awards for that.

This is where professional copywriting comes in. It’s the secret sauce for converting users by delivering lines that engage, inform, and persuade. Without it, your website is like fries without ketchup! I mean, come on, you gotta have it!

What is website copywriting?

Copywriting, in its simplest terms, is the process of crafting the text that goes onto your website. However, it’s not just about putting words to a page. The goal of website copywriting is to persuade or compel your audience to take action… whether that’s to download an e-book, sign up for a newsletter, contact you for a quote, or buy your products. Why is website copywriting important — because the goal of website copywriting is to convert. And the only way to do that is by putting the right words on the right page at the right time… right?

This is markedly different from content writing, which offers value to the reader in the form of information or entertainment. This includes website articles about why website copywriting is so important for your business .

And this is not to be confused with copyrighting either. You know, that legal stuff with the © symbol.

What does website copywriting cost?

First you need to ask yourself, has your company ever been through the branding process or have a brand startegy in place? Brand messaging is how you convey your brand’s value proposition and language for your audience. It’s how you make your customers relate to your business and brand — and inspire them to take action. Your branding guidelines will already have established some headlines, taglines and clever phrases which will guide your website copy saving you some money.

Secondly, is all the website copy being created from scratch or are you hiring a copywriter to rewrite or edit what you have?

Typically we charge around $2500-$3000 for a starter package that includes brand messaging and all the copy for five pages of a new website. Now you have brand messaging in place so you can direct the tone for anyone else who will create written content for you.

A skilled copywriter, with a background typically charges around $75 to $125 per hour. This fee reflects their skill, in crafting compelling ad copy, website copy and SEO friendly content customized to suit your requirements. Seasoned copywriters employ marketing tactics and engagement methods that have been tested leading to conversions. Although the price might appear steep the benefits they provide justify the cost as they save you time and produce content that yields outcomes.

Why does website copywriting matter?

During the website design process, we tend to see companies allocate a lot of their resources towards making sure the new site is visually appealing with quality visual assets and added technology that best suits their needs. And of course, user experience can’t be overstated, especially for making sure users don’t bounce from the page immediately.

The competition is stiff and there are plenty of competitors that will get everything right. Using combinations of excellent headlines, taglines and body copy to compliment good design.

It’s not uncommon for businesses to then want to save costs elsewhere — namely website copywriting — since the site itself is a significant investment, and copywriting is typically added à la carte, on top of the base cost of a website. 

But if you’re going to invest anywhere first, we actually recommend not placing the cart before the horse. Out of any asset you have, professional website copywriting will actually carry your website the furthest. And that perspective is coming from a website designer, not a copywriter.

Copywriting takes the lead and guides every step of the process. A skilled copywriter isn’t just a wordsmith slinging together slick-sounding sentences (how’s that for alliteration?). From crafting compelling headlines that draw visitors in, to helping structure engaging copy that keeps users scrolling down the page and clicking on call-to-actions (CTAs), copywriting ensures your design is more than just eye candy. And the reason is threefold: website copywriting allows for better design, better conversion, and better SEO and visibility for your website.

Good website copywriting enhances the design: Website copywriting process

One of the founding principles of good design is that the content dictates the form. This is to say that determining the visual aspect should be informed by the subject matter, in some way, shape, or form. 

Imagine your website is a gourmet meal. You can make the dish look visually phenomenal, but without the right ingredients, you might end up with a chaotic mix of flavors and textures. Similarly, a website without well-thought-out content can feel disjointed and confusing to visitors.

That’s why website copywriting is one of the secret ingredients to crafting website designs that can compete on the national and world levels.

• Content Hierarchy and Layout: The copy is what determines which information is most critical and should be prominently displayed. For example: headlines, key messages, and calls to action. In turn, this informs the layout of the design, placement, and cues the designers on where the visual emphasis of various elements should go.
• Brand Voice: Copy sets the tone for the website’s messaging and brand voice. It defines how the brand communicates with its audience, whether it’s casual, formal, serious, or playful. In turn, the tone of the copy influences design choices such as typography, color schemes, and imagery to align with the desired brand personality and the purpose of the section of the website in question.
• User Flow: The structure of the website, including its navigation menu and user flow, is very heavily influenced by the copywriting. Having cohesive website copy on a page will create a “flow” for users to follow, leading users further down a page toward what they’re looking for.
• Content Length and Readability: Perhaps one of the most important parts of web design is having just enough copy to simultaneously convey your offerings and entice your audience. This is also incredibly important for user attention spans — it’s easier to do when there’s no text limit, but attention spans are unfortunately limited. Not to mention, the design suffers when there’s an imbalance between text and visuals. Too much text leads to “whitepaper” designs, and too little will make your offering seem slim.
• Visual Storytelling: Copywriting often involves creating narratives and storytelling elements on the website. Web designers will use these narratives to inspire their visuals, such as illustrations, icons, infographics, and so on.

Drives conversion with website copywriting strategy

While this technically plays into the design aspect as well, website copywriting plays a pivotal role in driving conversions for websites. As we touched on above, generic headline CTAs like “Buy now!” or “Call today!” can come across like a used car salesman. And well, there’s a reason we all get that sort of “ick” feeling when dealing with those types.

We want to be sold to, but not in a way that feels cold and transactional. We want the emotional connection — for the business to seem like they care about us. That way, we can trust that we’re spending our hard-earned money on a product or service that will pull through for us.

And ultimately, a website must convert in order to be successful. So by crafting compelling, persuasive, and informative content, website copywriters engage visitors, build trust, and ultimately lead them towards taking desired actions, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a contact form. Here’s how it works:

• Building Trust & Emotional Connection: Trust is paramount. Well-written copy establishes your authority, demonstrates your expertise, and assures visitors that they’re in the right place to find what they’re looking for. And website copywriting that taps into their emotion is more likely to resonate with your audience. It can evoke feelings of happiness, relief, excitement, or security — influencing visitors to convert.
• Capturing Attention: Effective copy grabs the reader’s attention immediately. One of the most important aspects of a website that converts is not having a high bounce rate. And boring copy is an easy recipe for sending visitors to the bounce zone! Good copy addresses their pain points, desires, or questions right from the start, ensuring they stay on your page and continue reading.
• Call-To-Actions (CTAs): CTAs are one of your website’s most crucial design features for converting visitors into customers. You could have the nicest design in the world, but with poor text, conversion rates will plummet. Copywriters create compelling headlines for CTAs that encourage real user interaction, as opposed to something trite like “Buy Now,” “Contact Us,” or “Subscribe”, which do very little to convince a user to continue exploring. 
• Overcoming Objections: A silver tongue — or well, a silver pen — goes a long way for boosting conversion. With persuasive website copywriting, you can address common objections or concerns potential customers may have before they even know it. This helps to reassure them and eliminates barriers to conversion.
• Highlighting Benefits: Effective copy focuses on the benefits of your products or services rather than just listing features. It shows visitors how your offerings can improve their lives or solve their problems.
• Creating Urgency: Urgency can be a powerful motivator. Website copy can convey a sense of scarcity or time sensitivity to encourage immediate action, such as limited-time offers or countdowns. However, use these sparingly — as your visitors will become calloused if you use them too often.

So we’ll say it till we’re blue in the face — website copywriting is the secret sauce that transforms a static website into a dynamic and persuasive platform for driving conversions.

Copywriting Boosts SEO and visibility

Finally, there’s another angle to consider with website copywriting. The copy on your site plays a huge role in boosting SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and improving the visibility of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs). Having your website’s copy be persuasive and engaging is only half of the benefits. 

• Keyword Optimization: Strategically incorporating relevant keywords and key phrases naturally within the content, websites become more likely to rank for those terms in search results.
• Quality Content: Search engines, especially Google, prioritize high-quality, informative, and relevant content. In plain language — they don’t like to push shoddy content. Remember: Google is a business like any other, and they want to serve their clients (Google Searchers) with valuable content that continuously engages them to use their platform. Well-crafted, valuable copy is more likely to rank higher in search results. Having rich website copywriting ensures that your site appeals more strongly to search engines. Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E.E.A.T) have been a cornerstone of Google’s Search Quality Rater.
• Structured Content: Proper copy uses proper headings, subheadings, bullet points, and other formatting elements. This makes the content more readable and scannable — which not only is more useful for your visitors but also is something Google likes to see because it makes it easier for their bots to crawl your content.
• Internal Linking: Connecting relevant pages on your website via internal linking not only helps users navigate the site and find what they need more easily but also spreads SEO authority across different pages, giving your pages a nice bump in the rankings. For example, if you have a blog entry at the top of the organic search results, you can send some link juice to other pages because the top is authoritative.
• Meta Descriptions and Title Tags: Finally, you’ll want to make sure your website copywriting has optimized meta descriptions and title tags, which are displayed in search results. These elements provide a concise summary of the content and entice users to click through to the website. The more well-optimized your meta descriptions and titles are, the more likely they will significantly impact your click-through rates.

That’s why website copywriting is not just about crafting engaging content. By optimizing for keywords, aligning with user intent, and providing valuable information, copywriting helps websites rank higher in search results and attract more organic traffic — which is invaluable for attracting new eyeballs to your business. How’s that for an ROI!

Professional website copywriting vs. DIY

As we’ve outlined so far, website copywriting is a crucial part of your website’s success — but should you hire a professional or take the do-it-yourself (DIY) approach? 

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons for yourself because the decision can significantly impact your website’s quality, effectiveness, and ultimately, its ability to convert visitors into customers (and to bring you more business). 

Hiring a professional copywriter:

Pros:

• Expertise & Quality: The pros are the best at what they do for a reason — they’re trained and experienced in creating persuasive, engaging, and effective website content. Understanding how to craft compelling narratives and optimize content for SEO takes a history and track record of doing it consistently. Unless you’re already in the field yourself, the chances of delivering the same level of quality yourself are low.
• Time-Saving: Hiring a copywriter frees up your time to focus on your strengths and the parts of your business only you can operate — such as strategy, customer engagement, or product development, as a few examples.
• SEO Benefits: Website Copywriters write your content with SEO in mind, ensuring that your content is optimized for search engines.
• Fresh Perspective: An outside perspective brings new ideas and angles to your business. Not to mention, it’s easier for them to write for an audience who doesn’t understand your business as intimately as you do.

Cons:

• Financial Cost: As with any professional service, professional copywriting comes at a financial cost. Since this service is typically not included in the base price of a website, the extra cost may put you outside of your allotted budget. Of course, freelancer rates vary depending on experience and expertise, which can add an extra layer of time and decision-making if you choose to shop around. The website design agency you choose to work with can help you avoid that headache if they offer their own copywriting services.

DIY (Doing It Yourself) copywriting:

Pros:

• Cost Savings: DIY or using an in-house team is financially more cost-effective since you don’t have to pay for professional services.
• Control: You have full control over the content creation process, which means you can create content on your own schedule and make quick changes whenever necessary.
• In-Depth Knowledge: No one knows your business as you do — so you have the deepest knowledge of your business, products, and services, which can be advantageous if you already understand how to effectively translate that to your audience.
• AI Tools: There are more AI writing tools available to help with writing content based on your input. However, a seasoned writer can never be replaced.

Cons:

• Lack of Expertise: Unless you naturally have the gift of gab, your content may not be as effective in engaging your audience. And unfortunately, poorly written content can also make your brand seem unreliable.
• Learning Curve & Opportunity Cost: Writing compelling website copy is a steep learning curve that takes time and effort, which can delay timelines and cause you to miss out on new business or other opportunities.
• Limited SEO Skills: Without at least knowing the gist of SEO, your content won’t rank well in search engines — burying your business in the search results.
• Risk of Bias: DIY content can sometimes suffer from biased perspectives, missing out on potential customer pain points or needs.

The final verdict

Ultimately, the choice you make between hiring a freelancer, professional agency or DIY depends firstly on your budget. Your time availability, and the importance you place on high-quality content should be your next considerations. If you have to ask yourself, “Should I do this?” you should probably consult a specialist. Your time is valuable, and your website should launch with the best foot forward.

Consider your company’s requirements and resources when making this decision. Established web design firms, like Mighty Fine have expertise in handling both client provided content and creating their own. Regardless of your chosen path ensuring that your website boasts high quality content is crucial whether your updating or creating a new website .

If you have any questions about website copywriting or the website design process, Mighty Fine is happy to answer them.