Learning how to write website copy starts with one question: what is the visitor trying to get done? Answer that first on every page, put the most important point at the top, write in short and plain sentences people can scan, and end each page with one clear next step. Most small-business copy fails because it describes the business before it helps the reader.

Website copy is the written text on a site, from headlines and service descriptions to buttons and link labels, that helps a visitor understand an offer and decide what to do next.

What should you do before you write any website copy?

Before writing a word, list the tasks visitors arrive with and give each one a page or a section. Google’s own guidance asks site owners whether a reader will “leave feeling they’ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal” [Google Search Central, 2026].

For most small businesses the tasks are predictable: what you offer, whether it suits them, whether you are credible, and how to get in touch. Write each one as the visitor would say it: “Do you design websites for salons?” beats “Our solutions.”

Then check the words people use. Google’s starter guide notes that some users might search for “charcuterie” while others search for “cheese board” [Google Search Central, 2025]. Your clients have their own vocabulary, and it is rarely industry jargon.

How do people actually read website copy?

Most people do not read website copy; they scan it. In Jakob Nielsen’s original study, 79 percent of test users always scanned a new page, and only 16 percent read word by word [Nielsen Norman Group, 1997].

Eyetracking research describes the F-shaped pattern: readers cross the top of the content, make a shorter pass lower down, then scan down the left edge. Nielsen Norman Group calls it “the default pattern when there are no strong cues” to guide the eye, and has found it on both desktop and mobile [Nielsen Norman Group, 2017].

Taylor Dykes of Nielsen Norman Group sums up what this means:

“Shorter text increases user comprehension and engagement. Users read only about 20% of written content on any given web page, so it’s doubly important that those words count.” Taylor Dykes, Nielsen Norman Group, 2025

So the real skill in how to write website copy is making sure the fifth of the page that gets read is the fifth that matters.

How to write website copy people can scan

Write scannable copy by leading with the conclusion and making every heading carry real information. Nielsen Norman Group describes the inverted pyramid, where “the most important information” comes first, as “perfectly suited for the web” [Nielsen Norman Group, 2018].

The F-pattern research adds three habits: put the most important points in the first two paragraphs, start headings with the words that carry the most information, and bold key phrases [Nielsen Norman Group, 2017]. Google’s starter guide agrees: break long content into sections, with headings to help people find their way [Google Search Central, 2025].

The payoff is measurable. In the original Nielsen study, rewriting the same content raised usability sharply [Nielsen Norman Group, 1997]:

  • Concise text: 58 percent better than the promotional version.
  • Scannable layout: 47 percent better with the same words.
  • Objective language: 27 percent better than hype.
  • All three combined: 124 percent better.

What makes website copy plain and clear?

Plain copy uses familiar words, short sections and active voice, so a reader understands it on the first pass. The US government’s plain language guidance describes plain language as “content that is clear and easy to understand” [Digital.gov].

Active voice is the quickest win. As the federal writing guide puts it, “Active voice makes it clear who should do what” [Digital.gov]. Compare “A consultation can be booked” with “Book a free call.”

A few habits keep small-business copy plain:

  • Talk to the reader as “you,” and describe the business as “I” or “we.”
  • Cut adjectives you cannot prove, such as “world-class” or “best-in-class.”

Clear writing also helps people and search engines match a page to a question, which is part of why SEO fails without good content and branding.

Say exactly what the reader gets. Nielsen Norman Group’s research on link labels warns that “Learn more is the new Click here,” because vague labels give people no reason to click [Nielsen Norman Group, 2019].

The same article calls a link a promise that the destination has to keep. Google gives matching advice, describing good anchor text as “descriptive, reasonably concise, and relevant” and naming “Click here” and “Read more” as labels to avoid [Google Search Central, 2025].

Clear links are also an accessibility requirement. Under WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.4 (Level A), the purpose of each link should be clear from its text or its context. Assistive technology can list every link on a page, so “click here” repeated six times tells a listener nothing [W3C].

In practice: swap “Learn more” for “See web design packages,” “Submit” for “Send my project details,” and a headline like “Welcome” for the outcome you deliver.

What should each page of a small business website say?

Each core page answers one main visitor question. Nielsen Norman Group advises sites not to assume visitors can work out the difference between options on their own, and to state the key differences explicitly [Nielsen Norman Group, 2024].

  • Home: who you help, what you do for them and the next step, all visible before the first scroll. First impressions form fast, which is why website design shapes credibility in seconds.
  • Services: one clear section per service, covering who it is for, what is included and how it differs from your other options.
  • About: the person or team behind the work, with real credentials. Google’s helpful content guidance encourages clear authorship and warns against fabricated profiles [Google Search Central, 2026].
  • Contact: how to reach you, what happens after someone gets in touch, and when they can expect a reply.

How do you keep website copy in your brand voice?

Keep the personality fixed and adjust the tone to the moment. Nielsen Norman Group’s research on tone of voice describes four dimensions (formal vs. casual, serious vs. funny, respectful vs. irreverent, and matter-of-fact vs. enthusiastic) and advises keeping brand personality consistent while varying tone to fit the topic [Nielsen Norman Group, 2016].

Pick a position on each scale and write it down in one sentence. A bakery might be enthusiastic on its homepage but matter-of-fact on its allergen page: same voice, different tone.

Words also have to match what people see, so the voice should line up with your brand typography, your brand colors and the wider identity. For women-owned brands in particular, the tone decisions in feminine branding carry straight through to the copy.

What is a simple checklist for writing website copy?

The Task-First Copy Method shows how to write website copy in five passes, one job per pass, so no page gets rewritten from scratch:

  1. Task: write the visitor’s question at the top of the draft. Delete anything that does not help answer it.
  2. Top: move the answer into the first two sentences and the headline.
  3. Scan: rewrite every heading so it makes sense on its own, then bold the one phrase per section a skimmer must see.
  4. Plain: switch passive sentences to active, cut unproven adjectives, and swap jargon for the words clients use.
  5. Next: give the page one primary call to action, labeled with the outcome, and make every link describe its destination.

Run the passes in order. Together they cover the three changes that worked best in Nielsen’s original study: concise, scannable and objective, which together scored 124 percent better [Nielsen Norman Group, 1997].

How Sabrina Awdi helps with web design

I design websites for women-owned businesses, and every project starts by mapping the structure around your goals, your audience and the journey a visitor takes through the site. I bring over 4 years of global experience across beauty, food and beverage, software, publishing and professional services.

In my web design projects, that first Discover & Map step plans the page structure before anything is styled, which gives your copy a clear place to land. If the brand needs work first, start with brand identity design. If your current site feels tired, why your website looks outdated is a useful place to start, and you can see finished work in the case studies or read more about me.

Outside Jacksonville, the same work is available across Northeast Florida: web design in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Orange Park and Fernandina Beach.

Frequently asked questions

How long should website copy be?

Long enough to answer the visitor’s question and no longer. A homepage usually needs a clear headline, a short summary of who you help, a few supporting sections and a call to action. A service page often needs more, because people want detail before they get in touch. Structure matters more than length: a long page with clear headings and the key point at the top reads faster than a short, dense block.

How many calls to action should a page have?

One primary action per page is a sensible rule, repeated where it fits naturally, such as after the introduction and again at the end. Secondary links to related pages are fine. The problem is several equal-weight buttons asking for different things at once, which leaves visitors to work out what you want. Label the main button with its outcome, such as “Book a discovery call,” so people know what happens when they click.

Does website copy affect SEO?

Yes. Google’s guidance focuses on helpful, reliable content written for people, and its starter guide recommends thinking about the words a person might search for and organizing text with headings. Copy that names your services in your clients’ language, answers their questions plainly and uses descriptive link text gives search engines more to work with. Knowing how to write website copy for people is, in practice, most of what good on-page SEO asks for.

Start with the visitor, then write

Good website copy is less about clever lines and more about order: the visitor’s task first, the answer at the top, plain words, and one clear next step. Run the five passes on one page first, then the rest.

If you are planning a new site, get in touch and tell me what your visitors come to your site to do.

Sources

  1. Google Search Central (2026). Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.
  2. Google Search Central (2025). Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide.
  3. Google Search Central (2025). SEO Link Best Practices for Google.
  4. W3C. Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context).
  5. Digital.gov. Plain language guide series.
  6. Digital.gov. Writing for understanding.
  7. Nielsen Norman Group (1997). How Users Read on the Web.
  8. Nielsen Norman Group (2017). F-Shaped Pattern of Reading on the Web: Misunderstood, But Still Relevant (Even on Mobile).
  9. Nielsen Norman Group (2018). Inverted Pyramid: Writing for Comprehension.
  10. Nielsen Norman Group (2025). Product-Specific GenAI Needs to Write for the Web.
  11. Nielsen Norman Group (2019). Better Link Labels: 4Ss for Encouraging Clicks.
  12. Nielsen Norman Group (2024). Explicitly State the Difference Between Options.
  13. Nielsen Norman Group (2016). The Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice.