Before you DIY your website copy, read these 5 tips first
You’ve had this task on your to-do list for weeks. Maybe months. Or, honestly, maybe even years.
Now, finally, you’ve carved out a sliver of time, opened the doc, made a strong coffee and told yourself, Right. Let’s do this. Time to write the website copy.
But then the blank page stares back.
The overthinking kicks in.
“Is this too much? Or not enough? Or both?”
“Where does this even go? Homepage? About? The void?”
“Why does my brain feel like peanut butter?”
It’s completely normal that it feels hard.
You’ve got ideas, offers and second-guessing swirling around in your head, plus a million client deadlines that always seem to come first.
Meanwhile, your website is still giving pre-pandemic vibes. Before you had the glow-up. Before you had the clarity. Before you really stepped into your zone.
And before you got the top tips on how to write website copy like an actual website copywriter would.
So, let’s make writing your website words feel a little easier
Through client work and convos with creatives deep in the copy fog over the years, I’ve seen these same hurdles pop up — and I’ve also seen a few easy ways to get over them without spiralling (and spiralling and spiralling).
Which means if your brain’s buzzing but the words won’t come, these five tips will help you cut through the peanut-buttery swirl and finally say what you’ve been trying to say.
Tip #1 Treat your homepage like a taster plate, not the whole meal
Your homepage is your taster plate: a careful selection of delicious little samples that let your dream clients quickly get a feel for what you’re all about (without overwhelming them or sending them into a food coma).
Once you see your homepage as a sampler, not the full-course dinner, it gets way easier to figure out what belongs there…and what’s better saved for another page.
For example:
Your full backstory? That’s what your About page is for. Your homepage is all about a quick hook to grab their attention and a short-and-sweet bio to introduce the person behind the business.
Your detailed, step-by-step process? Keep that on your Services or How it Works page. Just give a taste of the experience upfront to show how great it is to work with you.
Your entire portfolio? Highlight one or two favourites, then link to your dedicated Portfolio page where they can explore in more detail.
Put simply, your homepage should answer six questions at a glance:
Who are you?
What do you do?
What makes you different?
Who’s it for?
Why you?
What should they do next?
Think of it this way: you’re not feeding them the whole three-course meal on arrival, just enough bite-size brilliance to get their mouths watering and hungry for more.
Tip #2 Map out the layout before you start writing
You wouldn’t dive into designing without sketching out a layout first, right? Or start snapping photos without setting up the shot?
Your website copy works the same way.
Instead of staring at a blinking cursor and hoping for a breakthrough, lean into your visual brain. Map out your page section by section (even just using rough notes or labels) and you’ll instantly have something clear to work with.
Each section should have a job. Each one should flow into the next. And together, they tell the story.
So if we’re talking about your Homepage again, your rough layout might look something like this:
Quick hook: Grab their attention from the get-go
Who it’s for: Call out your dream people clearly, so they instantly think, yep, that’s me
What you offer: Explain it simply so someone scanning the page could understand
Why you: Share a quick line about what makes you different from everyone else, aka your style, approach, your standout factor
Bit of proof: Sprinkle in a testimonial or your stellar portfolio piece so they feel confident reaching out
A clear next step: Tell them exactly what to do next
You’re giving your brain a framework, and from there, it’s much easier to start turning the rough notes into real words.
Tip #3 Write your process like you’re talking to a first-time client
Here’s the thing that’s often easy to forget: most people probably haven’t hired someone like you before. And when people aren’t sure how something works, they tend to just…not ask. (Hello, awkward silence.)
That’s why clearly explaining your process is such a big deal. It’s not just about saying what you do, it’s about giving people a clear picture of what it’s like to work with you, step by step.
The best way to know what to include? Look at the questions you get in your DMs or asked on discovery calls.
Things like:
“How long will it take?”
“What do you need from me?”
“How much do I need to be involved with the process?”
“When do I pay?”
“How do we actually communicate with each other?”
“What happens after I get in touch?”
This is exactly how website copywriters do it — by turning real-life questions your clients are asking into useful, confidence-boosting content that’s right there, ready to reassure before they even hesitate.
And remember that “how it works” section we talked about back in Tip 2? You could show that through:
A straightforward step-by-step list
A quick “How it works” blurb
A visual timeline (designers, this is your jam!)
Or a helpful FAQ that walks them through the details, addresses any “but what ifs,” and shows exactly how you’ll help them get to where they want to be
Clear process = relaxed client = one step closer to “F yeah, let's do this.”
Tip #4 Use microcopy to make your site feel more human
Microcopy is the tiny-but-mighty stuff scattered across your website: the button labels, image captions, form prompts and even those little error messages that pop up when someone forgets to fill out a field.
And while these might seem small, it’s often where your brand personality gets to shine the most.
A few of my website copywriter-approved tricks for humanising your microcopy are:
Buttons: Skip the generic “Submit” and try something more inviting.
→ “Lock in my spot”
→ “Give my emails a glow up”
→ “I’m ready to stand out”Forms: Even a simple tweak like “What should I call you?” instead of just “Name” can help lose the robotic vibes
Captions: Add a quick aside or mini story to give context, like you’re chatting to a friend on WhatsApp
Error messages: Instead of “Field required,” you could say something like “Oops! Mind filling that in?”
The goal here isn’t to be silly or overly clever. It’s to sound like a real person is behind the screen; someone warm, helpful and who they’d really love to work with.
Example: My services snapshot on my homepage. I made the text on the call-to-action buttons a little more fun, but still clear, so my audience knows what action to take.
Tip #5 Don’t hide what you do behind poetic phrasing
Look, I love a clever metaphor as much as the next creative. But if your homepage currently says something like “I help you unlock your potential” or “I help you elevate your style,” your dream clients might still be thinking, “Cool… but what do you actually do?”
Because clever doesn’t always equal clear. And poetic isn’t always persuasive.
Clarity helps people understand what you do. Plain and simple. And no, that doesn’t mean your copy has to be boring or stripped of personality. It just means being real about what you do and who it’s for.
For example:
Instead of: “For creatives ready to elevate their digital voice, I write web copy that unlocks their potential and fosters client connection.”
Try: “I write website copy for creative service providers who want words that match the quality of their visuals and make it easier for dream clients to enquire.”
The second one’s not just clearer, it’s also more helpful. It shows the reader what you do, who you do it for and what the benefit is.
Think of clarity and personality as the caramel centre in an ice cream tub. One without the other? Still good. But together? Chef’s kiss.
When your message is grounded in real language, it helps people feel confident, like they understand exactly what they’re signing up for, why you’re the right fit and what happens next.
That’s the difference between someone clicking away with questions… and someone clicking that contact button because you’ve made it easy to say yes.
Your cheat sheet: 5 website copy tips
Feeling a bit clearer?
If you’re planning to write your own website copy, I hope these tips give you a clearer path in and maybe a few lightbulb moments along the way.
But if you’re still sitting there thinking “Sweet… but I’d love a bit of backup,” there are two ways I can help, depending on what you need:
👉 Website copy audit (including SEO)
Perfect if you still want to write it yourself, but need someone to tell you what’s working, what’s off, what to fix and why. You’ll get clear, straight-up advice, plus a few helpful copy suggestions, so there’s no stressing on where to start.
👉 Done-for-you SEO website copy packages
Ideal if you’ve realised this is not the task you want to take on solo. You’re ready to hand it over, get it done properly and finally have a site that brings the right people to the offers that were made for them, so they stop lurking and start locking you in.
Whether you’re leaning towards DIY with direction or handing it over completely, I'm here with my notebook, coffee and greyhound waiting.
