What’s missing from your website?

It’s not nostalgia, custom typefaces, illustrations with dimensionality, or any of the other spicy new web design trends for 2023. 

(Although those things are certainly cool.)

No, there’s one major element missing from most website designs, and if you don’t have it, you’re losing your audience — guaranteed.

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5 Elements Your Website Should Have

Like fashion, music, and any other art form, web design flows with the times.

Web design is influenced by a bunch of factors, such as social trends, political movements, and designers’ personal whims. 

But there are a few core design principles that don’t change.

While there are tons of best practices to consider when designing a website, here are the five key elements of any good web design:

1. Clean layout: Each page is uncluttered, attractive, and logically organized, with plenty of white space.
2. Simple navigation: The navigation menu is accessible and uncomplicated, so a first-time visitor knows exactly where to go.
3. Branded visuals: The whole site — from logo to typography to color scheme and more — represents the business’s brand and goals.
4. Easy user experience: Whether on mobile, tablet, or desktop, all users are able to move through the site intuitively until they complete the desired action.
5. Remarkable content: All messaging, from homepage copy to product videos, offers value to the website user and encourages them to take the next step.

The #1 Element Your Website Must Have

So what’s the one thing that’s most important for (and also most missing from) website design in 2023?

Hint: it’s hidden within one of the elements above.

It’s also what you’re looking at right now. 👀

Found it?

Here it is: copy. 

(AKA the fancy marketing term for any words written to attract or convert people to your business.) 

I can sense the collective sigh — words are boring, right? — but hear me out.

Copy is the backbone of your website. It’s the element holding the entire body together. Without it, you’ve just got a bunch of colors, shapes, and pictures.

Which works for, you know, an infant. 👶

Put another way: If the layout of your website is a house, the copy is the furniture inside — the comfy chair, the happy vase of flowers, the mirror that allows guests to see themselves inside your home.

Copy is what welcomes your audience into your family.

Copy is what encourages them to join your community.

Copy is what addresses their needs, feeds their hunger, and warms their soul.

Too much? I don’t think so. Humans are driven by language. It’s how we understand, connect with, and influence one another.

Without good messaging, your website can’t speak to the desires and pain points of your audience. You can’t actually convince people to buy your product or service.

Neil Patel goes as far as to say:

“You need to be fluent in copywriting. Why? Everything in business revolves around it.” 

– Neil Patel

Bonus: Copywriting can also boost your search engine optimization (SEO). By writing directly to your buyer persona(s) and incorporating relevant keywords on your site, a good copywriter can help you show up higher on Google for relevant search queries!

Why Great Copy Is Missing from Most Websites

For many websites, copy is nothing more than afterthought.

Businesses get caught up in the fireworks of website design — the graphics, the animations, the interactive map widget on the locations page.

By the time copy gets introduced, that spark has often been snuffed.

That’s so sad! As a professional copywriter (and former English major), I hate to see copy kicked to the curb — especially when I know how crucial it is for your business.

That’s why I take a copy-first approach to website design. 

I solidify your brand messaging right away, so we know we’re addressing your audience appropriately throughout your website. Then, I design each page to match the tone and purpose of the text.

It may not be the sexiest way to start a project, but trust me, it’s the best way — at least if you want to actually drive conversions. 

I’m not trying to knock other website designers here.

In fact, the real problem is that most web designers don’t actually do copy. They simply drop in whatever text the client provides.

But that leaves you, the client, with the monumental task of providing that copy. You then have two options:

1. Write the copy yourself, and risk not knowing or implementing copywriting best practices (not to mention wasting your own valuable time).
2. Hire a separate copywriter, and have to deal with being the middleman between two often-opposing forces (plus needing to pay two different expenses).

Most businesses end up going route #1 . . . and then wonder why they aren’t seeing “results” from their websites.

The best solution is simply to hire a web designer that can do it all: attractive layout, easy user experience, and conversion-driving copy.

They’re rare, but they’re out there. 😉 

Does Your Website Have Great Copy?

It’s hard to know, objectively, just how good (or bad) your website copy is.

Maybe you’re already aware that your copy needs some help. If so, check out my Brand + Website Copy Bundle. You’ll get all this:

• Up to 5 pages of conversion-focused website copy
• Comprehensive, 12-page brand messaging guide
• Custom website success kit
• Personal customer support
• And more!

Introducing The Brand + Website Copy Bundle for Creative Businesses

But maybe you aren’t sure whether your copy is meeting the needs of your audience. 

If that’s the case, why not get a second opinion? I’ll take a look at your site and let you know if I recommend some fresh copy or if yours looks perfect as is. No strings attached!