What is the most important thing to remember when writing copy for a website?

After working with many brands across a span of industries, I have found that the first step in creating effective copy is to develop your authentic brand story. Who are you? What are your values as a business? What makes you unique as a creative? What do you offer? What actions do you hope site visitors take? Answering these critical questions can give you the inspiration you’ll need for determining site structure, headlines, content for the home page and the supporting pages. Think of your site as a storybook of your business, from the attention-grabbing “front cover” to the inside pages featuring more detailed content. 

How do I inject my personality into the copy?

It’s important that your site truly represents you – your style, your aesthetic and your personality. The design of the site — from color scheme to illustrations, from imagery to layout — is the most important way to showcase your brand personality. The copy should be the tool that relays your message in a clear, engaging way. 

The ABOUT page is a great place to highlight your achievements, your experience, your favorite things and what makes you, well, you! However, it’s important that to remember the purpose of your website — to sell, to attain new clients, to entertain, to promote. All of these very important reasons lead back to one critical question to ask yourself — What will attract and keep visitors on your site? How are you speaking in an authentic voice that connects to the heart of their problems / issues and how you’re able to help solve them with your products or services?

If I am just starting a website, what are the “must haves” for copy?

When starting the process of website creation, these are the “must-have” items you’ll need to be effective, engaging and successful:

• 3-5 attention-grabbing headlines for the homepage,
• 1-2 attention-grabbing headlines for each supporting page 
• 1-2 call(s)-to-action
• A brief overview of your business / brand
• A biography about you, the founder / owner / artist / girl boss
• Services and/or product overview and descriptions
• Contact information

What are some common copywriting mistakes that you see on websites?

One of the biggest mistakes I see on websites is overwriting — or, in other words, too much copy! Many times when visitors click onto your site, they are quickly scrolling and reviewing for eye-grabbing material. If your site features paragraphs upon paragraphs of copy, the visitor will not retain the message, will likely get overwhelmed and will likely leave the page without taking any action. Stick to short, meaningful phrases and brief paragraphs, in total, that relay who you are, what you’re offering and what actions visitors can take.

What if I have my copy, but I’d like someone to go over it and give me suggestions?

There are many creative writers who will copyedit your materials for a minimal cost. As long as your content is outlined and inclusive of everything you’d like to convey on your website, an expert can tweak to create more effective messaging.

What if I just don’t want to write my copy at all?

Copywriters – like me! – offer copywriting packages for business owners and creatives just like you who are building a brand new website. After a branding deep-dive, where I’ll learn about your business, offerings and goals, we’ll craft copy that is perfectly suited to you — copy that will achieve results and make your online home standout amongst competitors! To learn more and/or sign-up for my services, click here.