Home page copy
Answers in a few sentences what you offer, for whom, and what the next step is.
Web design
Website copy: concrete, written from the customer's point of view and easy to find
Website copy from the customer's point of view: clear headings, concrete statements, fitting calls to action. Writing for people and for search engines.
Web design
Website copy: what exactly is it?
Website copy covers everything that is written: headings, introductions, service descriptions, button labels, hints in forms, error messages and the text behind the image (alt text, titles and descriptions for search engines). It is not an extra; it is the part of the page that explains and persuades.
People read differently on the web than on paper. Visitors skim, look for anchors and read more closely where their question is answered. That is why good copy has a clear structure: one point per paragraph, subheadings that carry the content, short sentences wherever understanding matters.
At the same time, machines read the copy too. Search engines and AI assistants need unambiguous information: who are you, what do you offer, where, for whom, and on what terms? Copy that says this early and precisely helps people and machines alike. The principle of “answer first, explanation afterwards” applies on every page.
Background
Website copy: why it matters.
A website sells through language. Even the most beautiful design does not help if the heading says “Welcome” and the first paragraph explains how long the company has existed. Visitors are looking for an answer to their question.
The copy on a page is read not only by people but also by search engines and AI assistants. Both prefer clear, verifiable statements that answer a question completely. Anyone who writes for their readers first usually writes for the machines as well.
Example (fictional): a tax adviser writes “We are your competent partner in all tax matters.” A visitor with a question about setting up a limited company learns nothing from that. Better: “Setting up a limited company? Before your notary appointment we explain which taxes you can expect, and we set up your bookkeeping at the same time.” The second sentence shows that someone has understood the visitor's concern.
Overview
Website copy: building blocks and variants.
Service pages
One page per service, with benefits, process, examples and questions. This is where the enquiry is decided.
About-us copy
Clear, honest and related to the customer's benefit: who works for me, and how?
Guide and blog articles
Answers to specific customer questions. They bring in visitors from search and show your expertise.
Microcopy
Buttons, form hints, confirmations. Small texts with a big effect on the abandonment rate.
Search engine copy
Title and description for each page: brief, unambiguous, with the searcher's need in mind.
Before you write: the brief in eight questions
Weak copy almost always comes from a weak brief. Anyone who says “just write something nice about us” gets clichés. With these eight questions, answered in writing, the text almost writes itself.
- Who am I writing for? One specific person, not “all prospects”. Age is unimportant; what matters is their situation and knowledge: do they know the subject, or do they need the basics?
- What do they already know, and what not? This decides which terms have to be explained.
- What do they want to achieve? Solve a problem, compare providers, prepare a decision.
- What is holding them back? Doubts, fear of the price, bad experiences, lack of time. The copy has to address these objections before they raise them.
- What exactly are we offering? What precisely does the customer get, to what extent, with what result? Verifiable details instead of adjectives.
- How are we different, provably? Not “quality”, but something like: “We come with fixed time slots”, “You have a fixed point of contact”.
- What should the reader do at the end? Exactly one action.
- Which questions should be answered after reading? Write them down as a list and check later whether the text really answers them.
Keep the answers. They are the foundation for all your pages and help when several people work on the copy later.
A service page, paragraph by paragraph
Service pages are the most important copy on a company website. This is where it is decided whether someone gets in touch. They follow a pattern that you adapt to your business. Important: the pattern sets the order, not the wording.
| Section | Purpose | Example guiding question |
|---|---|---|
| Heading and short answer | Says in two or three sentences what the service is and who it is for | Who is searching for it, and what is the answer in one sentence? |
| Problem or occasion | Shows that you know the situation | When does someone come to you, and what is weighing on them right now? |
| What you concretely do | Describes the scope of the service and the result | Which work steps are involved, and what does the customer hold in their hands at the end? |
| Process | Removes the uncertainty before working together | What happens after the enquiry, who does what, roughly how long does it take? |
| Costs and influencing factors | Creates predictability without putting people off | What does the price depend on, and what can you prepare to reduce it? |
| Examples | Makes the result tangible | Which typical case (anonymised, with consent) shows the approach and the result? |
| Frequently asked questions | Answers objections | What do prospects ask on the phone? |
| Next step | Leads to action | How exactly does someone make an enquiry, and what happens then? |
Not every service needs every section at full length. A simple service gets by with three paragraphs and a list of questions. For offers that need explaining, such as a relaunch or brand development, the page can happily go into more depth.
Before and after: turning clichés into statements (fictional examples)
| Before (cliché) | After (concrete) | What has changed |
|---|---|---|
| “We offer tailor-made solutions for your requirements.” | “You tell us how many treatment rooms your practice has. We plan the furniture so that the route from the entrance to the treatment room never leads through the waiting area.” | A concrete action instead of an assertion |
| “Quality is our top priority.” | “Every delivery is checked by two people before dispatch. If you find a fault, send us a photo and we will replace it within two working days.” | A verifiable procedure instead of self-praise |
| “We are your competent partner.” | “Since 2012 we have looked after heating systems in apartment buildings, from the boiler to the billing.” | Facts that can be checked |
| “Call us, we will gladly advise you.” | “Call us before you build an extension. In one phone call we will tell you whether you need planning permission.” | The benefit of acting is stated |
| “Rely on our many years of experience.” | “Typical mistakes we see in older buildings: damp cellar walls, electrics that are too limited.” | Experience shown through knowledge |
The examples are invented. Note that every line in the right-hand column is only right if it is true in the real business. Copy must not promise anything you do not deliver, and must not claim anything you cannot prove.
Writing headings: rules and a decision aid
Headings are the most-read part of a page. Visitors use headings to decide whether to read a section, and search engines use them to understand pages. A good heading promises something and keeps the promise.
- They say what it is about. “How does a relaunch work?” is better than “Process”.
- They contain the words visitors search with. Not forced, but natural: “Website relaunch without losing Google rankings” sounds like a question someone actually asks.
- There is only one main heading per page (H1). Subheadings (H2, H3) structure the page beneath it without skipping levels.
- Short enough for a phone. Two lines is a good upper limit.
- No questions that only the business asks. “Why choose specialist firm X?” helps nobody. “Why a heating failure in January can get expensive” does.
Decision tree for the heading
- Would someone type this sentence into a search engine? Then it is suitable as an H1 or H2.
- Does the paragraph that follows answer the heading in its first two sentences? If not, change the heading or the paragraph.
- Does the same promise appear on another page? Then decide where it belongs and sharpen the other heading.
Cliché glossary: words that say nothing, and what helps instead
| Cliché | Problem | Better |
|---|---|---|
| holistic | Everyone claims it, nobody explains it | List everything that is included |
| individual | Goes without saying, otherwise it would not be advice | Describe what you respond to individually |
| innovative | Cannot be verified | Show what is new and what benefit it brings |
| competent | Self-praise without evidence | Name qualifications, training, projects |
| customer-oriented | An assertion with no content | Concrete availability, appointments, procedures |
| highest quality | Not measurable | Name testing procedures, guarantees, materials, standards |
| all-inclusive, worry-free package | Obscures scope and limits | List what is included and what is not |
| leading | Open to legal challenge without evidence | Only use it if a verifiable source exists |
| unique | Rarely true, never proven | Describe the real difference |
| we look forward to your enquiry | An empty phrase at the end | Say what happens after the enquiry |
A cliché is not forbidden, but it is suspect. Ask every time: what is the information behind it? If there is none, delete the sentence.
Writing for search and AI: without counting keywords
Search engines and AI assistants do not read texts the way people do, but they look for the same things: unambiguous answers, clear references and evidence. The route there is the same for people and machines.
Answer first. Every page and every larger section begins with a sentence or two that answers the central question. Details follow. That way a search engine can show the answer as an excerpt and an AI can quote it.
Questions as subheadings. Where visitors ask questions, phrase the heading as a question and answer it directly. That matches the search intent exactly.
Name the connections. Anyone who writes “web design” should also explain how it relates to copy, technology and findability, and link to those topics. That creates a network of related pages; you will find more under Content and keywords.
State facts, places and names unambiguously. Who are you, where are you based, which services do you offer, in which regions? This information should be available as text, not only in images.
Do not say the same thing several times. If ten pages sound almost identical, search engines cannot tell which one is the right one. Every page needs its own topic and its own perspective.
Mark how up to date it is. Give the date of the last review where it is relevant to the content. This helps readers and sometimes the systems that look for fresh sources.
Microcopy: small texts, big effect
Microcopy means the small texts on buttons, forms, hints and confirmations. They hardly get noticed, yet they decide at the most sensitive point: where someone is meant to do something.
| Place | Weak | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| Button on the form | Submit | Request a callback |
| Hint next to the phone field | Required field | So that we can call you back. We do not pass your number on. |
| Error message | Invalid input | The email address seems to be missing. Please include an @, for example name@company.com |
| Confirmation after sending | Thanks. | Your enquiry has arrived. We will get back to you by the end of the next working day. |
| Empty search results | No results | We found nothing on that. Try a different term or give us a call. |
| Cookie or notice text | We use cookies to improve your experience. | Example (only use it if your statistics are actually set up this way): We count visits without recognising you. |
Test every piece of microcopy with the question: does the visitor know afterwards what is happening and what to do? Only promise times you will keep. Promising an answer by the end of the next working day and then taking three days does more harm than saying nothing at all.
Myth versus fact: misconceptions about web copy
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| Visitors do not read long texts | They read long texts if those answer their question. They do not read long texts that talk around the point |
| The more keywords, the better | Repetition harms readability. Search engines recognise connections even without mechanical repetition |
| A good text can be written once and stays up to date forever | Prices, processes, offers and legal notices change. Copy needs looking after |
| Technical terms make you seem more competent | Competence shows in explaining difficult things simply. Technical terms have their place, but with an explanation |
| Translation by software is enough for foreign-language pages | Machine translation is a draft. A native speaker checks technical terms, tone and legal information |
| Every text needs a picture | A picture that explains nothing costs loading time. A diagram or a genuine photo can support the text; decoration cannot |
A 20-minute copy check: how to review your pages
- Read-aloud test: read the page out loud. If you stumble over sentences, the sentence is too long or too convoluted.
- Deletion test: delete every sentence that nothing is missing without. What is left is the text.
- Who-am-I test: take the perspective of a stranger. Is the information they need in the first two paragraphs?
- Evidence test: mark every claim. Next to each, write how you could prove it. Where that is not possible, change or delete it.
- Duplication test: look for whole sentences that appear on several pages. Decide where they stay.
- Action test: does the end of the page say what to do next, and what happens after that?
- Freshness test: are prices, opening hours, contacts and legal information correct?
If you want to look beyond copy at the overall impact of your brand, take a look at brand strategy: that is where you decide how you speak. For further practical advice, see the article Writing website copy from the customer's point of view.
Three draft texts with comments (invented businesses)
Examples make rules tangible. The following drafts belong to entirely invented businesses; they show structure and tone, not your wording. Never take over sentences that do not fit your business.
Draft 1: opening of the home page of a physiotherapy practice
“Back pain that stays with you after work? In Lindenau we treat people with problems in the back, neck and shoulders, without long waits for a first appointment. Call us or request an appointment online.”
Comment: The first sentence picks up the visitor's situation. The second says who treats, where and what. The third names the next step. “Without long waits” may only be there if it is true.
Draft 2: about-us paragraph of a tax office
“You run a business with ten employees and no longer want to do your bookkeeping after hours. That is exactly why we opened our office in 2014: we take over the ongoing bookkeeping, the annual accounts and the payroll, and we tell you in advance what it will cost.”
Comment: The text starts with the customer, not the company history. The founding appears as a reason, not as an end in itself. The last clause addresses a typical worry.
Draft 3: introduction to a service page “Retrofitting a heat pump”
“A heat pump is not worthwhile in every house. We find out whether yours is one of them at an on-site appointment: we check the insulation, radiators and flow temperature and tell you what would need adjusting. After that you receive a quotation with all items listed. If a heat pump does not suit your house, we will tell you that too.”
Comment: The text opens with an honest limitation and gains trust as a result. It describes the process in one paragraph and ends with a commitment that only a good company can make.
With your own drafts, watch for three things: does the text start with the reader? Does it contain at least one verifiable statement? Does it end with a clear next step?
Defining your tone: a set of rules for your organisation
When several people write copy, or when copy comes from different service providers, a site quickly starts to sound inconsistent. A short set of rules solves this. It does not have to be long; one page is enough.
| Rule | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Fix the form of address | Always “you”, never “one” and never “the customer” | A direct, respectful attitude |
| Sentence length | On average at most two subordinate clauses, main points in short sentences | Readability on a phone |
| Technical terms | Explain at first mention, then use consistently | Clarity and search terms |
| Numbers | Numbers from ten as figures, prices with the euro sign, dates in the format 15/10/2026 | Consistency |
| Banned words | A list of clichés (see the glossary) and superlatives | Credibility |
| Dealing with mistakes | Say what happened, what we are doing, what you can do | Openness when problems arise |
| Spelling of company and product names | Exactly as in the legal notice and on the letterhead | Recognition |
| Gender-inclusive language and forms of address | Make one decision and stick to it, in agreement with your target group | A consistent appearance |
Pin the rules on the wall or keep them where the writing happens. A review once a year is worthwhile: have the language, target group or offer changed?
Writing clearly: specific stumbling blocks
| Stumbling block | Example | Better |
|---|---|---|
| Noun-heavy style | The carrying out of the consultation is performed by our employees. | Our employees will advise you. |
| Passive with no one acting | An enquiry is recommended. | We recommend that you make an enquiry. |
| Long nested sentences | As soon as the application, which, as described in the documents, was previously checked, is available, the processing takes place … | We check the application. After that we will get in touch. |
| Abbreviations without explanation | The new T&Cs apply from Q3. | Our new terms and conditions apply from the third quarter. |
| Stacked negations | It is not impossible that this will not work. | This may fail. |
| Empty verbs | We carry out an optimisation. | We optimise. |
A simple test: would you say the sentence like that to a customer sitting opposite you? If not, rewrite it.
Approval and upkeep: who reviews, who updates
Copy needs an owner. Without someone responsible, it goes out of date unnoticed: contacts, prices, opening hours, legal information. Decide who is responsible for which page and how changes are approved.
Four-eyes principle. Every text is read by a second person before it is published. This catches mistakes and unclear passages.
Change log. Note what was changed and when. For legally relevant texts, this helps later as evidence.
Review cycle. Service pages and prices quarterly, legal information after every relevant change, guide articles once a year.
Use feedback. Questions that customers still ask despite the text show gaps. Collect them and add to the page accordingly.
Guide articles: one article in eight steps
Guides bring in visitors from search and show your expertise. To work, they need a clear structure. The following sequence is a practical starting point.
- Set the question. One specific question that customers ask, phrased in their language: “How long does a heat pump last?”
- Answer in two sentences. The short answer at the start, so that search engines and readers have it straight away.
- Draft the outline. Three to seven sections with subheadings that are themselves questions or statements.
- Substantiate and make concrete. Examples, calculations, standards, sources. No invented figures, no claims without evidence.
- Myth and fact. Pick up common misconceptions on the subject and put them right. This increases usefulness and memorability.
- Checklist or table. Where it fits, an element to take away: checking steps, a comparison, a decision aid.
- Add links. To related articles and to the matching service page, with meaningful link text.
- Check and date. Proofread the facts, give the date of publication and update, and name the person responsible.
The length follows from the question. An article may be short if the answer is simple, and long if the question needs depth. For help choosing topics, see the page Content and keywords.
Our work
Website copy: what we do for you.
Copy from the customer's point of view
We write about what the customer gets and wants to solve, not about the company history.
Headings with substance
Every heading says what it is about. Anyone who reads only the headings understands the core of the page.
Concrete details instead of clichés
Examples, processes and verifiable details instead of “highest quality” and “individual solutions”.
Building in findability
We work search terms, questions and connections in so that the text stays natural. You will find more under Content and keywords.
Writing calls to action
One clear, honest sentence about what happens next when someone gets in touch.
Quality
Website copy: how to recognise good work.
- The first heading says what you do and for whom
- Every page answers a clearly recognisable question
- Statements are concrete and verifiable, with no superlatives without evidence
- There are subheadings and short paragraphs
- Technical terms are explained or avoided
- Every page has its own title and its own description
- The next step is named at the end of every page
- No text appears in the same form on several pages
Costs
Website copy: what it costs.
The effort depends on the number and depth of the pages and on how much expertise from your organisation has to go in. Copy that needs interviews, research and consultation takes more effort than revising existing drafts.
The calculation behind it: how we price our work.
What determines the price
- Number of pages and types of text
- Research and interview effort
- Rounds of consultation with your specialist staff
- Your own drafts to revise, or copy written from scratch
- Search engine element (titles, descriptions, questions)
What you can prepare
- The ten questions customers ask you most often
- Brochures, quotations and emails in which you explained your service well
- Your best customer examples, as far as you may name them
- Terms your customers use, and terms that are only used internally
- Who checks and approves technical content
Pitfalls
Website copy: common mistakes.
- A home page that begins with the company history
- Lists of services without any benefit for the customer
- Self-praise instead of verifiable statements (best, leading, unique)
- The same text blocks on several pages
- Long paragraphs without subheadings
Frequently asked questions
Questions about website copy.
Can I write my copy myself?
Yes, and that is often even a good thing, because you know your field. We give you an outline and questions, and revise your drafts if you wish.
How long should a text be?
It depends on the type of page: a contact page needs a few lines, a service page several paragraphs with examples. You will find more on the length of service pages further down.
May copy be written with AI?
As a drafting aid, yes. You should only publish what a person has checked and enriched with their own knowledge. You will find more in our article on AI copy and SEO.
How do I find the right tone?
Write the way you would explain your work to a new customer in the initial consultation: politely, clearly, without clichés. You will find the basics under brand strategy.
Does copy have to be updated regularly?
Prices, opening hours, contacts and legal information should always be correct. Check specialist texts for currency at least once a year.
How do I sound personal without seeming unprofessional?
Write in the form of address your customers are used to, and in clear sentences. A text becomes personal through concrete details and examples, not through exclamation marks or jokes.
Should I use customer testimonials?
Only genuine ones, given with consent and, where possible, tied to a specific result. Invented or bought reviews are not permitted and destroy trust as soon as they are noticed. This is not legal advice; if in doubt, ask a solicitor.
How many words does a service page need?
That depends on the questions a prospect has. As a guide, a few hundred words are enough for simple services, and considerably more for offers that need explaining. Length is not a goal but a consequence of the questions.
How do I keep the tone consistent when several people write?
Set a short collection of rules: form of address, spelling of technical terms, handling of numbers, bans (such as clichés). One person reads all the pages at the end and aligns the tone. An example of such a collection is in the section “Defining your tone”.
How much copy can I reuse across several pages?
As little as possible. Identical paragraphs on several pages dilute the effect and make it harder for search engines to choose the right page. It is better to link to a page that covers the topic in depth.
Guides
Further reading.
What does a website cost? The price factors at a glanceWhat a business website costs depends on scope, features, content and ongoing support. These are the factors that determine the price.Read more →Website relaunch without losing rankings: how to proceedHow to relaunch a website without losing visibility on Google: audit, content plan, redirects and checks after launch.Read more →Responsive Web Design: What It Is and Why It Is the StandardResponsive web design explained: how websites adapt to smartphone, tablet and desktop, why it matters to users and Google, and how to tell if yours does it well.Read more →Accessible websites: the basics and the BFSGAccessible websites explained: why accessibility matters, what the BFSG regulates, which requirements apply (WCAG) and how to get started.Read more →Cookie banners and privacy: the essentialsCookie banners and consent: when a banner is needed, which services you can avoid, and how to build a privacy-friendly website.Read more →WordPress or custom-built? Choosing the right systemWordPress, other site builders or content management systems, or a custom solution: pros, cons and criteria for choosing for a business website.Read more →Optimising website images: format, size, loading timeOptimising images for websites: the right formats (WebP, AVIF, JPEG), suitable sizes, compression and lazy loading for fast loading times.Read more →Writing website copy from the customer’s perspectiveWebsite copy that sells: the customer’s perspective instead of self-description, clear benefits, direct address and a structure from headline to call to action.Read more →Designing a Contact Form: More Enquiries, Fewer FieldsDesigning a contact form: which fields you need, how to lower barriers, keep spam out and comply with data protection. Practical tips for more enquiries.Read more →Website maintenance and security: what to do regularlyWebsite maintenance and security: updates, backups, passwords, HTTPS and monitoring. The key tasks that keep your website secure and fast.Read more →
Want to talk through website copy for your business?
Do you already know what comes first with website copy? Then tell us. If not, we will find out together.