A copywriter for course websites is many things. A researcher, strategist, creative. The list goes on.
But there’s one thing for sure. The words on the page can make or break a website. Design can only go so far. If the words don’t inspire and compel the reader to take action, a business will never achieve its goals.
If you’re a training provider, course creator or coach and you want to learn the right way to write, this is your ultimate guide to website copywriting. You will learn the who, the how and most importantly the why of writing copy so your website achieves what it’s supposed to – attract visitors and convert them into paying clients or students.
But first, for the sake of clarity, let’s start with a description of copywriting and then, a few definitions. As you explore more about website copywriting, you will come across these terms a lot, so it makes sense to understand what they mean.
What is a Copywriter?
A copywriter is a professional writer who specialises in writing words that persuade. We create compelling copy for websites, social media, sales and landing pages, product descriptions and much more.
We are skilled at researching topics and keywords to create compelling content that serves user intent, solves problems and gives people a reason to act now.
A copywriter understands the importance of using active language and creative storytelling to engage readers, as well as applying the latest SEO trends and best practices to ensure our work is successful in generating website traffic.
Now you know what a copywriter is, let’s take a look at some terms to become familiar with for writing website content.
Dwell time
The amount of time a reader stays on a page. Important because the longer a potential client stays on a website, the higher the likelihood they will make an enquiry or purchase.
Bounce rate
If a reader visits your site and then ‘bounces’ back to the search engine results page without exploring your website further, this increases your bounce rate. Lots of people ‘bouncing’ from your website is a bad thing. A great copywriter not only knows how to get people to your site, but encourages them to stay.
Meta Content
The content displayed on a search results page such as Google that tells the reader what the page is about. Meta content should be properly optimised to increase click through rates.
SERP
Search Engine Results Page. A list of web pages that match the search query of the web user.
Search Intent
The reason for the search. Is the reader looking for information or to buy? This will affect the type and use of keywords.
Conversion
When a reader follows a call to action and buys, signs up, subscribes or downloads something. Conversion’s don’t always have to mean sales. It depends on the goal of the page.
Customer Profile
A semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer, based on in depth research.
Bucket Brigade
A writing technique used to encourage the visitor to keep reading.
SEO
The process of optimising the pages on a website to rank for certain search terms
Analytics
A way of assessing the performance of pages on your website.
Social Proof
A way to demonstrate credibility, usually through customer testimonials.
Website Copywriting
Can you remember the last time you visited a website and became frustrated because you couldn’t find what you were looking for?
Or, you clicked on a link from a search page but the content didn’t match the reason you made the search?
Well, visitors to your website do exactly the same – if they fail to find what they need or your website doesn’t give them the answers they want, they will click away and never visit again. And it’s becoming even harder to get that click in the first place, with zero click searches and AI generated snippets reducing website traffic.
The very first task, before you write a word, is to evaluate each of your website pages and understand the intent behind each one.
But don’t make the mistake of many. Instead, look at intent from the customer’s perspective and WIIFM (What’s in it for me).
If a customer lands on a page, what do they want to see, feel, think and do? Are they looking for information or are they ready to buy?
Behind every search made on Google, there’s intent, or to put it simply, a reason.
A great copywriter will be able to get into the mind of your potential clients, understand their search intent and create relevant, persuasive copy that will encourage the reader to download, subscribe or buy from you.
Your Target Audience
To really understand your market, a copywriter will need to work with a buyer persona. This is your ideal student or client. Always have this ready when starting a website copywriting project. The buyer persona is sometimes referred to as a customer profile or customer avatar. It will represent your ideal customer and include their fears, frustrations, needs, wants and aspirations. A complete customer profile will provide lots of valuable information for the copywriter to use to craft your website copy.
With intent and audience clearly defined, it’s time to jump in to bringing your ideas to life in words.
The Writing Process
The process of creating copy can be broken down into four simple steps: research and planning, writing, editing and optimisation.
Let’s take a look at each of these now.
Step 1 Research and Planning
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. An age old saying. But it’s got so much truth to it. The research and planning phase can sometimes take much longer than writing. And rightly so. But it often depends on how complex the subject matter is and how much information you provide to your copywriter. A copywriter brief at the very least should detail the pages on your website, keywords, the audience and the purpose of each page (or the intent).
Every copywriter will have their own approach to the research process, but as a rule, I start with competitors, markets and customers.
Competitors to explore their value proposition, benefits and course or service offering
Market to evaluate similar products and services (and identify any gaps)
Customers to assess current feelings about existing courses, programmes and services and to examine problems
This information is then used to shape the planning process.
For each page on the website, I will identify headlines, sub-heads, features and/or benefits and a suitable call to action (more than one may be required at different points on the page).
The Copy Plan
Planning will map out the structure of each page and I will plan what copy must be included to guide the reader to the next step in the sales process. This will vary depending on the business and whether they offer products or services as the approach is slightly different for each.
Step 2 Writing
With the outline ready and the information gathering complete, it’s time to start writing. The web page can follow a rough structure, but this is flexible and will depend on the product or service. It will include:
Headline
Hook
Benefit
Proof
Call to Action
Every page should have an irresistible offer. It’s a basic rule of web copywriting. This is a product or service that the web visitor cannot say no to. It’s the solution to a problem. And it’s something the prospect needs right now.
As you create your website pages, remember the paradox of choice. Don’t try to cram all your products or services onto a single page – if visitors feel overwhelmed with too much choice, they choose nothing.
If you can, create a single page for each product or service and use the headline, hook, benefit, proof, CTA framework for website copywriting. It’s simple yet effective.
Step 3 Editing
Editing is one of the most important steps in the process. It will help polish and refine your copy. During the editing process check for:
Readability
Repetition
Clarity
Tone
Optimisation
Step 4 Optimisation
Although you can optimise product and service pages for SEO, the best approach is to create a quality blog post and use internal linking to your product or service pages. Create a value based post on a topic and within the content, hyperlink some of the keywords back to a product or service page.
On page optimisation checklist:
Meta title and Meta description
The meta title is the first thing a search engine sees and the meta description gives an overview of what’s on the page. They should be individual for each page, with relevant keywords in both for optimisation purposes.
Heading tags (H1, H2 etc)
A way to structure content into different sections and subsections so that it’s easier to read.
Alt tags (for imagery)
Describe the images and videos that you have included on the page. Provide a keyword that describes the image, making sure that at least one of the images is optimised for your target keyword.
Internal linking
Hyperlinks from one page of your website or blog to another. It’s important for SEO and also helps to keep visitors on your site.
External linking
Link out from your website or blog, to an authoritative source. Beneficial for both SEO and credibility purposes.
Image optimisation
Images should be resized before uploading to the website, as larger images take up more space and slow down page load time. Your web designer will be able to advise on placement of images and structure of the website for best results.
Refer to this checklist whenever you need to write a web page.
As well as optimising the page, there are also other things you can do to maximise readability and engagement with your copy.
Captivating Headlines
A headline is designed to grab people’s attention as they browse online. It should pique curiosity, create interest and encourage the reader to click. However, headlines should not be written in the form of clickbait. This is a tactic that uses sensationalist headlines to draw readers in, but then not delivering on the promise. This will hurt your rankings and the reputation of your business.
Compelling copy in headlines will encourage readers to click to find out more.
Principles for headline writing:
Use numbers – Readers are drawn to headlines with numbers as they indicate a list or steps, making the content easier to digest.
Ask questions – Identify those asked by your ideal clients and target audience. They naturally want to know the answers, so asking questions in headlines can be effective.
Create urgency – Use words that convey urgency e.g. ‘now’ and ‘today’ and phrases such as ‘limited time offer’ to create a sense of urgency.
Be descriptive – Make sure the headline accurately reflects what is in the page, otherwise people will click away quickly, hurting your rankings and credibility.
Make it catchy – Headlines should be catchy and memorable. Use words that evoke emotion or curiosity.
The only goal of the headline is to get the first sentence of the page or post read.
Tone of Voice
Tone of voice is how you communicate with your ideal clients, customers and prospects. It includes the words and phrases you use, as well as the sentiment behind them. Your tone should be consistent across all channels and platforms, from website content to social media posts and email campaigns.
To establish your brand’s tone of voice:
Identify your brand’s values – What do you want to stand for?
Understand your audience – Who are you trying to target?
Define key characteristics – Are you professional or quirky, funny or empathetic?
Create a voice guideline – Document how you want to express yourself.
Test it out – Experiment with different tones and see what works best.
Stay consistent – Ensure all content is written in the same way.
Tone of voice helps to create a connection between your business and customers, by making it feel more approachable, friendly and relatable. It also helps to keep your message on brand and gives you an edge over competitors.
Call to Action
The call to action (CTA) is a button, link or phrase that encourages people to take an immediate action. It should be placed in clear view and be concise yet compelling. The right call to action can result in higher conversion rates and more sales.
Important elements of a CTA:
Keep it short – Keep the CTA short and to the point, so the reader understands instantly what it is asking them to do.
Make it stand out – CTAs should be eye-catching, with a contrasting colour or graphic that stands out on the page.
Be direct – Avoid using ambiguous language such as ‘Find out more’. Instead use action words such as ‘Join us inside’ or ‘start saving today.’
Personalise – Personalised CTA’s have a higher conversion rate, so use the reader’s name, or target them based on their location where possible.
Test it – Test different versions to see which one gets the best response.
The purpose of a CTA is to encourage the reader to take the next step, whether this is to request a free quote, sign up for a newsletter or buy something. Without it, people may be hesitant to commit and you risk losing potential customers.
Content Optimisation
The process of content optimisation goes much further than focusing on SEO and keywords. It involves creating a value driven page or post that helps the reader solve a problem and serves their intent. Practices for content optimisation include:
Understand the buyer persona – Research your target market and recognise their needs. When you better understand your audience, you can create impactful stories, quality content and copy that really makes an impact.
Write for the reader – Focus on creating copy that is informative and engaging, rather than just trying to rank higher in search engines.
Use visuals – Use images and videos to break up text and make it more visually appealing.
Research keywords – Find relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for and use them in the copy.
Link to other content – Internal links are beneficial for SEO, so include links to other pages within your website.
Monitor results – Monitor the performance of each page with analytics tools and adjust as needed.
Content optimisation is an ongoing process that needs to be constantly monitored and improved. Doing so will help you create copy that is both SEO friendly and engaging for the reader.
Website Metrics
A metric is a unit of measurement that gives insight into the performance of a web page. The metrics you focus on will depend on the goal of the page. Some of the common metrics to monitor include:
Page views – Number of times a page has been viewed.
Traffic sources – Where the visitors are coming from, such as organic search or social media.
Average session duration – How long users stay on the page.
Bounce rate – Percentage of visitors who leave after viewing one page.
Conversion rate – Percentage of people who took a desired action, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.
Tracking metrics is an important task as a website owner as it allows you to identify areas of improvement and adjust your strategy accordingly. You can also measure the success of each page in terms of visitor engagement and conversions.
Key Takeaways:
All pages should have individual meta titles and descriptions with relevant keywords
Headlines should be catchy and memorable
Create a consistent tone of voice and use it across all channels
Use clear and direct calls to action
Weave social proof and customer testimonials into your copy as much as you can
Content optimisation involves creating high-value content that is tailored to the reader’s needs
Monitor your results and adjust accordingly.
If you want to communicate more effectively with your readers, convert more visitors into paying customers and grow your business online, the words on the page really matter. A copywriter for websites can really help you make an impact and stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Lost for words? Let me work my magic on your website. Let’s have a chat and see how we can transform your copy from mundane to magical.