Let’s take a minute (or three) to go back to the basics of copywriting — at least, the essentials of web copy, all the words on your website intended to create action (aka convert).
Impactful, effective web copy gets your website to do the work for you. It sells your offers in the background while you do what you love (like hiking your favorite trail or going to a concert with your bestie).
When your copy doesn’t work, it doesn’t convert. And when your website can’t convert, booking clients is 10x harder than it should be (and no one loves an unintentional slow season).
What is Web Copy?
Copy is another word for, well, “words.” Copywriting (the action of writing copy) and copy in relation to business (like web copy) are defined as “words that trigger actions.”
These actions include purchasing, joining, subscribing, etc — it’s messaging to inspire people to act on your offers.
All words on your website are web copy — from your core pages like your homepage, about, contact, and services to your sales pages, landing pages, even your IG link-in-bio (and literally everything in between).
What Makes Web Copy “Work”?
Web copy “works” when it successfully encourages your audience to take action. It’s nurturing, converting, and engaging — aka putting in the work for you.
When web copy works, it’s thanks to years of experience, study, and testing — it’s from knowing how to utilize messaging, sales psychology, and user experience (among other things) to write compelling copy that transforms your brand into a trusted, irresistible facet of everyday life.
Copy is strategic and structured — but you can’t (and shouldn’t) follow the same template or strategy as everyone else. Rather than how it’s done (although it should always be done ethically), focus on what your copy achieves. For example, your copy should:
- Establish clarity around the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your brand and offers
- Be consistent in voice and vibe across your web pages
- Align with your design
- Stand out in some way and feature clear differentiators
- Offer a compelling storyline along with powerful hooks and headers
- Be scannable for readers and optimized for mobile
The Difference Between Copy and Content
The difference between copy and content is while content is technically copy, not all copy is content. In marketing, content works to inform, entertain, and prime your reader. Copy inspires to act; copy sells.
For example, a blog post is traditionally content, while a web page (like your sales pages or core website pages) is copy. Consider your weekly email newsletter vs. your evergreen sales funnels — your newsletter is content, and your sales funnel is copy.
Do You Need Web Copy?
You need web copy the same way you need web design, branding, or marketing. You could exist without it (at least, without professional copywriting) — but you won’t have the same conversions, impact, or engagement you would with it.
Hiring a copywriter (like me) is the best way to get results, but it’s also possible to do it yourself with the help of a strategy, guide, or template.
Ready to get started? Use these thought-provoking prompts to position yourself as the obvious solution, build immediate know-like trust, and compel visitors to take action in your web copy -> download your web copy prep questions (free for you, always).
