You’re ready to launch your new website (or give your existing one a refresh), and it’s time to focus on what many consider to be the hard part: writing your website copy. But here’s what most business owners don’t realize—it’s not the writing itself that’s difficult. It’s knowing what not to do. Because even the most beautifully designed website won’t convert visitors into clients if your copy is working against you. Don’t panic – I’m here to talk you through it and help get those creative writing juices flowing. So pour yourself some bubbly (water or champagne, your choice) and let’s get started. Read on to learn the exact website copywriting mistakes to avoid to nail your copy and captivate the right audience.
Website Copywriting Mistake 1: Trying to Appeal to Everyone
Here’s the thing—as a small business owner, I completely understand wanting to avoid turning away potential customers by being “too specific.” But when your copy is generic and tries to talk to everybody, you end up talking to no one.
Getting specific is what makes people stop scrolling and think, “Wait, this is for me.” So wherever you can sneak in specific details—who your service is really for, how you go above and beyond for your clients, what actually makes your product the best—people are going to connect with it and believe it more.
And don’t forget: you don’t want to attract everyone. You want your dream clients—the ones you’re genuinely excited to work with. So speak to them when you’re getting specific.
Website Copywriting Mistake 2: Trying to Sound “A Certain Way” Instead of Like Yourself
Yes, your website should be professional and showcase how exceptional you are at what you do—but it should also sound like you. If you’re writing your copy (or asking ChatGPT to… cough cough) and everything feels fluffy, generic, or worse—pretentious and vague—that’s your sign to stop and recalibrate. Here’s the test: if you would never say something in real life to a client, it shouldn’t be on your website.
Your funny sayings, occasional curse words, slang, local jargon, and personality quirks? Those aren’t unprofessional—they’re what make you memorable. So whether you drop the occasional f-bomb, say things like “holy toledo,” or—like me—freely use both, let that come through when it feels right. Website copy should be conversational and authentic, not stiff and corporate. This isn’t a job interview. Loosen up!
Website Copywriting Mistake 3: Focusing On Yourself Too Much
Now that we’ve established that you want to sound like yourself, let’s get to the next common mistake: talking about yourself too much. Yes, it’s your business—and your personality, values, and origin story absolutely belong in your website copy. But at the end of the day, your copy should be speaking to your dream client. It should be solving their problems, answering their questions, and guiding them to choose you—not just telling them how great you are.
This is a very common struggle my clients have faced when writing their about page. Which is why I have an entire blog all about it, right here.
Website Copywriting Mistake 4: Not Writing Enough
Look, I know a lot of us have ADHD brains and worry that too many words will turn off potential clients and make them scroll right past. And yes, there’s absolutely a balancing act to writing your copy—too long is a problem. But too short? That’s going to hurt you in more ways than one.
First, you need enough words to actually captivate and convert. If there isn’t enough copy on your website to tell visitors what you do and why they should care, they’re going to move on. You need to give them a reason to want to stick around and explore your offerings, learn about your business, and ultimately get in touch. Pretty pictures can only get you so far. There are millions of websites out there with beautiful design and imagery. So what’s going to set you apart? Your copy.
Second, if you care at all about SEO (and you should), you need enough words for search engines to understand what you do and show you to the right people. Now more than ever, with AI overviews dominating search results, if you don’t have quality, well-written content, your chances of being featured are basically zero. As a general rule, aim for a bare minimum of 300 words per page—but I typically recommend 500+.
Website Copywriting Mistake 5: Failing To Be Skimmable
Yep—I just told you to write more, and now I’m saying to make it skimmable. Stick with me here. Some potential clients are going to be “scoping you out” and just want to skim over what you have to offer. They’re doing a vibe check to see if you’re worth their time to bookmark and come back to. So while you need enough quality copy, you also want to make it easy to digest and pull out the most important nuggets. How do you do that? Easy.
- Break it up! Organize your copy into different sections using headings, subheadings, and paragraphs that aren’t giant walls of text.
- Use formatting tools. Bullet points, text boxes, pull quotes—anything that creates visual breaks and makes it easier to scan.
- Make sure your fonts are readable. Especially for body copy—nobody’s squinting to read 10pt script font. And it needs to have enough contrast to be legible against the background color.
- Create contrast. Play with font color, sizes, and styles to guide the eye to what matters most.
Website Copywriting Mistake 6: Leaving Out Social Proof
Saying you’re amazing means nothing without backing it up. Testimonials, case studies, results, before-and-afters, client logos—whatever proof you have that you deliver on your promises, use it. Social proof builds trust faster than anything you can say about yourself.
This is such an easy win, yet it’s constantly forgotten. Social proof shouldn’t just sit on one lonely testimonials page—it should be sprinkled throughout your entire website. Use it strategically to answer common questions and squash fears. On your About page, choose testimonials that highlight your personality or what it’s like to work with you. On your Services page, feature reviews that showcase the actual results clients got. Let your past clients do some of the heavy lifting when it comes to convincing new ones.
Website Copywriting Mistake 7: Forgetting To Include Clear CTAs
You’ve hooked them with great copy, they’re interested… and now what? If you don’t tell people what to do next, they won’t do anything. Every page should have at least one clear, specific CTA—whether that’s “Book a Discovery Call,” “Download the Guide,” or “View the Portfolio.”
Don’t be afraid to showcase some of your personality in your calls to action – they don’t have to be boring or generic. Just make sure they’re clear.
For example: A fave CTA written by my client and dear friend, Erin Lima, of Winsome Home Interiors:
And if reading these website copy mistakes to avoid has left you feeling overwhelmed, instead of inspired, I might say…
Ready to stop DIY-ing your way through your website copy? → Let’s chat
