Posted on Jun 8, 2020

Website Copywriting Tips: 5 Ways to Capture Visitors’ Attention in 2021

Visual web content is like a show horse. It’s pretty and flashy, so it draws people in. 

Website copy, on the other hand, is like a workhorse. It does the important, yet thankless job of converting website visitors into customers.

The key to creating copy that successfully converts is writing in a way that captivates visitors just as much as visual content does. Achieving this goal isn’t as tough as it sounds.

Read on to learn:

  • What website copywriting is
  • Why it’s important
  • Tips for creating attention-grabbing copy that every website copywriter should know

What Is Website Copywriting?

Website copywriting is the process of creating written content for a website. As a website copywriter, you author “copy” that is typically used to promote a product or service, or otherwise engage the reader with the company. 

Unlike prose, which focuses on telling a story, copywriting is geared toward conveying information that can make a sale or get readers closer to making a purchasing decision.

Why Is Website Copywriting Important?

Website copywriting helps sell your products and services, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

It can also:

  • Educate visitors about your products and services. Carefully crafted language can explain exactly what your company offers.
  • Make a connection with customers. A visitor may not make a purchase their first time on your site. But, the right copy can convince them to sign up for your email newsletter. From there, you can nurture a relationship with your subscriber until he or she is ready to become a customer. 
  • Act as an extension of your brand. Copy reflects your company’s unique perspective and voice. For example, a third-person perspective can convey formality and professionalism, while a quirky second-person perspective communicates a playful and relatable tone. 

Well-crafted, intentional copy powers successful businesses.

5 Attention-Grabbing Website Copywriting Tips

Now that you understand what copy is and its role, you can move on to the most important lesson of all: how to write captivating copy. 

1. Make Your Website’s “About Me” Page About Your Customers

When people visit your “about me” page, they don’t actually want to know about where you went to college or how you started your company. 

They want to know how you can help them. They’re looking for ways to relate to you and your company. So make connections with your customers on your “about me” page. 

Use the hero’s journey to tell the epic story of how you were in their shoes, but then you created this amazing product or service you now sell. Explain how that product or service changed your life and how it can do the same for your customers.

2. Use Your Customers’ Words Throughout Your Website

Did you know that 90% of customers trust the claims fellow customers make about a company more than claims the company makes about itself? 

Increase consumer trust by adding user-generated content to your website. Enable customers to leave reviews on your product pages. Ask happy customers if you can post their testimonial on your site. 

3. Keep Your Website Copywriting Concise

According to a study by Microsoft, human attention spans are only eight seconds long. 

Don’t make it difficult for visitors to find the most important information on your site. 

Instead, ensure everything on your website is important. Make your writing concise, cutting out anything that doesn’t add to your main message or supporting narratives.

4. Repeat Important Information

Your homepage may not be the first web page visitors land on. Therefore, it’s important to repeat key information about your business — like what it does, who it serves, and what makes it different — throughout the site. 

Add this information to blog posts, banners, and footers.

5. Tell Website Visitors What to Do With a Call To Action

Every successful website copywriter knows the power of a call to action (CTA). CTAs tell website visitors what to do next. “Add to cart,” “subscribe,” and “learn more” are examples of simple, popular CTAs. 

Include multiple CTAs on every page of your site. Experiment with CTA copy until you find messaging your customers respond to.

Final Thoughts: Website Copywriting Tips: 5 Ways to Capture Visitors’ Attention

From email notifications to cell phone pings, we live in a world of constant distraction. It can be difficult for businesses to break through the noise.

Riveting website copy is one of the keys to getting attention on the web. Fortunately, you don’t need a degree in journalism or advertising to master website copywriting. 

If you focus on your relationship with your customers, use their words on your site, avoid superfluous language, and tell customers to take action, you’ll be able to turn your website into a sales machine.

Take the next step in your business’ journey: build a successful website with iPage.

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