Before I went to uni to study creative writing (and sociolinguistics), I thought incredible writing demonstrated an exquisite verbosity, commanding an unparalleled mastery of the language. In other words, more is more. In first year, turns out, most of the class thought the same.
Over the three years of studying (and the additional two I would spend in my MA because I’m a fucking nerd and a sucker for a writing assignment), it became very clear very quickly that writing does not need to be complex to be effective. If anything, the opposite is true.
Getting through those initial workshops (where we would read and critique each other’s work) was…tough. Lots of people (myself included) regurgitated a thesaurus and called it our best work.
So maybe, in the spirit of less is more, I should get to the fucking point.
Less is more (especially for copywriting)
After ten years in website copywriting and five years at uni studying writing, the biggest lesson I can share with you is this: keep it fucking simple.
Using simple language, as free of jargon as you can muster, and keeping paragraphs short is an absolute winner. For the most part, people scan for information. And if you bury the lead, the leads won’t come.
Keeping website copywriting short and sweet
Now it’s one thing to take this practice to something like advertising. Where platforms and billboards dictate how much space can be filled with text. We see short, snappy copy that gets the point across in no time at all.
How do we manage that with websites when there is so much information to convey?
It’s all in the formatting. And the editing.
Website copy vs advertising copy
Website copy, like ad copy, is trying to juggle a lot of different jobs. Brand, messaging, usability, tone of voice, clear communication, and, most importantly, conversion.
Thankfully, in a website we have more than a few choice words and the odd phrase. Where an ad aims to get one simple message across, a website’s job is to convey the what, why, and how of your entire business. No small feat.
Not to sound all AI and shit, but the digital landscape is genuinely everchanging. There are more websites than ever and just about every industry is saturated. So what do we do?
5 tips to write more effective and concise website copy
- Fuck the jargon
- Put yourself in your audience’s shoes
- Take shortcuts
- Assume everyone will skimread
- Remember you are not special
-
Fuck the jargon
Jargon is an instant mood killer. Gone are the days when people wanted to buy from you because you know more than them, so you must know what’s best. It’s time to get on a level with your audience. But we’ll get onto that more in a minute.
You may know the technical terms, but it doesn’t mean they will. Sure, there’s a level of jargon to be expected in every industry. PMS, for example, means three completely different things to HR teams, marketing agencies, and menstrual health companies*.
Yes, you need the industry lingo but you don’t need, or want, to alienate your audience. The aim of marketing is not to make people feel bad about themselves.
*Performance Management System, Project Management System, and Premenstrual Syndrome respectively.
2. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes
It is time to get on a level with your audience. Yes, you may well know what’s best for them. You are the expert, but it’s important to make your audience feel seen. This is why a lot of marketing folks harp on about “ideal customer profiles” and “buyer personas”.
It’s not a “hey, fellow kids” situation. You need to understand their problems and communicate that effectively. That doesn’t require an essay listing out every single problem they have. What it does mean is littering headings and your copy with mentions of the key problems your business is there to solve.
3. Take shortcuts
When you’re writing website copy, you have such little time to capture someone. SEO your fucking heart out to get people there but if your purpose, product(s), services, and vibe isn’t clear immediately, why the fuck should someone stay?
In order to create this impact really fucking quickly, we need to take shortcuts. Your headings don’t need to be full sentences, for example. Numbers are really eyecatching and help people remember information, so don’t shy away from using digits instead of full words. And yes, that includes single digit numbers.
Another helpful tip here is to let yourself waffle. Then cut as many words as you can until the information is still clear. Then, if you need to, add in a little more wording to bring your personality forward.
4. Assume everyone will skimread
The vast majority of people who land on your website are just looking for the information that concerns them. So make it easy for people to find.
On service pages, be sure to write things like what’s included, benefits, and how it works in bullet points. And add info like approximate timelines and costs (from prices are just fine if you quote bespoke per project) each on a separate line, nice and clear for people to find.
Sure, some people will read the whole page, but by doing this you’re ensuring everyone can find what they need in seconds. Which will stop them fucking off and looking elsewhere.
If you bury the lead, the leads won’t come.
5. You’re not special
This may seem harsh but the reality is that almost every industry is saturated. So it’s your job to stand out. Believe it or not, in 2025, having a clear, user-friendly website with clear cut, well-formatted copy already puts you in good stead.
It’s important to focus on your messaging and understand where you thrive as a business. The job of a copywriter, someone like me, is to get this information from you and create a subtext within the copy. Because bringing in the right people isn’t about what you say, it’s how you say it.
You are in competition with a shit ton of other organisations. And yes, SEO will certainly help get eyes on your site. But what about the SEO stuff will keep someone there? No one wants to feel manipulated. And I think the thing that leaves a sour taste in people’s mouths when it’s all jargon and SEO bullshit is the clear and blatant manipulation. You’re not here for me. You’re here for Google.
SEO is lying to you
Much like my naïve course-mates and I back in first year all those years ago, it’s easy to fall into the trap of more is more. More content. More keywords. More pages.
Website copy exists to sell. Sell your business’s personality. Sell your products and services. Sell your way of doing things. Sell your knowledge. Sell your vision.
Your website doesn’t exist to sell to Google. It’s time to prioritise your customers. Your bottom line and your sanity will thank you for it.
If you’re ready to overhaul your website and your approach to SEO, get in touch to chat about my website copywriting packages or SEO support hours.
