A scintillating exploration of website copy as we know it

What is website copywriting? Google puts the definition of website copywriting in a neat little box—boiling it down to digital content that pushes a sale across blogs, landing pages, product and shop pages, social media, email and everywhere in between. Buzzwords like “engage”, “convert” and “sell” push up through paragraphs like dandelions through a crack in the sidewalk.

Big copywriting agencies who churn out SEO articles with robotic gusto will tell you that website copywriting is, “SO. MUCH. MORE”. It needs to sound human, be informative and tell a story goddamnit! Humans don’t buy what they’re told to buy, they buy when they feel something. Which is kind of true, but it’s also only part of the web copywriting purpose-puzzle.

Because humans DO buy what they’re told to buy.

But what separates good copywriters from truly great creative copywriters is how this adage is proposed, positioned and presented. And no, I don’t have a free download that delves into The Three P’s—this is simply a quirky coincidence of consonance. Hmm, more consonance… Moving on. 🛑

Stripped down and laid bare, what is website copywriting?, can be answered with one word: writing. Words on a website. Website copywriting can be pattered out on an archaic keyboard at 3am—just you, a blinking cursor and a world of words at your fingertips. There are the core pages you’ll mentally check off in your head like dominos as your finger pads fly across the keys: ‘Homepage, about me, services synopsis, portfolio introduction and contact… I need a way for interested clients to contact me!’. And contact you they may. Clear, error-free copywriting that’s organised with a healthy dose of logic does work. It’s a brilliant starting point—a beacon of beginning.

However, in the age of AI where creativity is twisted, pushed to the brink and stuffed down our throats, humans are left craving a fleshy sabbatical. They yearn to consume website copywriting that is part emotion, part opinion and part trust-forward facts.

What is website copywriting that balances emotion, opinion and trust-forward facts?

It’s website copywriting with personality. It’s story-first content that expands with emotion and swells with selling points that don’t sound like selling points. It’s copywriting that reads as if I climbed into your brain and plucked the perfect words out, one by one. Carefully arranging them before us both in a series of well-versed sentences that marry together your brand’s unique personality, look, feel, vision and values.

And when your dream client lands on your homepage (or blog, or sales page or lead gen) there is no confusion or hesitation. When you publish effective, creative website copywriting your readers are going to drink in your personality, mull over your paragraphs and soak up every headline with a wonderous air of, “I have time…”.

They’ll have time to relish in the fast-paced tempo, smile genuinely at the flecks of your brand personality, giggle at the quick-witted puns and feel instantly at ease thanks to a tone of voice evocative of a decade long friendship. An effortless synergy and an immediate interest in your brand and the solution you have to offer – bound tightly together with positive metaphors that hang between you, them and the ‘checkout cart’ button like a glowing beacon.

Summarising, what is website copywriting?

• It is a poignant application of your brand’s entire personality. It serves as a digital manifesto that your readers will pick apart, mull over and either accept with fervour or reject forever. Attention spans are short, you’ve got 7 seconds to make an impression
• It’s where your strongest selling points and bids for connection should live. Not buried down the bottom of a Facebook feed, hidden behind a Substack paywall or lurking amongst a flurry of Instagram posts. The bulk of the value you offer needs to be polished and published on your website
• And finally, it’s beneficial if your website copywriting weaves a story that’s optimised for SEO. Standing as one of the last avenues for organic, unpaid marketing, all digital content that you own should be overlaid with a strong SEO strategy. Your words need to be working even harder than you do.

Investing in website copywriting and a brand voice that is authentically YOU is going to capture the attention of ALIGNED clients. It won’t feel forced—and the best part is that it’ll end up being a whole lot more profitable, too. Because true creative website copywriting is about being distinctive. Being different. And above all, appealing powerfully to an audience that sees your vision and offerings—and immediately believes in it just as much as you do.

📝 Read a little while longer

• Comparing copywriting fees & the cost of good copy
• What is website copywriting?
• Skincare copywriting with purpose, professionalism and quick-paced character
• Clever and approachable brand voice strategy: A fun look at Dirt.
• Brand voice and personality case study: The masculinity of Parfums de Marly