How to Write Great Website Copy

In this short guide, we'll give you a few tips for writing great copy on your website. These tips will help you engage with your audience and lead to more people wanting to engage with your community.

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Know Your Audience

Before you start writing, it’s important to understand who you’re speaking to. Are you talking to a guest, a long-time member, a parent? Great copy starts with tailoring your messaging to speak directly to your audience and their needs. Generally speaking, your church website copy should be written for visitors as they are the biggest audience who is visiting your church website. Within that, there may be distinct audiences you will speak to depending on the page on your website. A few example include speaking to parents on the kids page, or men on a men’s ministry page.

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Be The Guide, Not the Hero

If we’re not careful, we all tend to talk about ourselves and what we care about. When we do this, people will tune out. Why? Because we all have this little thing inside us that makes us engage with things that help us and tune out on things that don’t.

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So on your church website, don’t primarily focus on your own church in your copywriting, instead speak to your audience and their needs. When you do this, your church becomes the guide in your audience’s story. You get to play a pivotal role in guiding them towards becoming who they want to become. This looks like pointing them to Jesus, and showing them how Jesus meets all of their needs.

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Let’s give an example:

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Bad copywriting: Come to our church, we are awesome! (paraphrasing here)

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Great copywriting: Come to our church, you’ll find belonging, purpose, and encounter Jesus.

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Keep It Simple and Clear

People love scanning pages before they commit to reading longs paragraphs. Break up your text by writing compelling headings and then use short paragraphs to make it easy to read. Remember, people get bored quick. So keep it simple and clear. Otherwise people will leave your church website in a hurry.

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Update Regularly

When of the biggest turn-offs on a website is outdated information. It just screams unprofessional and not trustworthy. Make sure you church website copy is current, with the latest information at all times. An easy way to make this possible is to schedule a regular time to review your website and scan the contents. Regularly refreshing your content also helps with SEO, making it easier for people to find your church online.

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Conclusion

Great copy on your church website will create connections with your audience in a genuine and engaging way. When you know your audience, speak to their needs, and keep it short and sweet, your church website will draw people in. Remember, your website is often the first step in someone's journey with your church—make it a great one!