How to prepare for a website copywriting project

1. List the pages and their jobs

Write a list of the pages you need, such as home, about, each service or product, pricing, frequently asked questions and contact. For each, note its main job: explain the offer, build trust, compare options or get people to book a call. Pages without a clear job tend to have vague copy. If you are also redesigning, our website project preparation article covers planning the overall structure.

2. Describe your customers

Explain who your customers are, what problem brings them to your site, what worries them and what makes them choose you. If you have several customer types, describe each and say which matters most. Customer reviews, emails and common sales questions are valuable: they contain the words customers actually use, which make copy feel familiar and persuasive.

3. Explain your offer clearly

Provide details of each product or service: what is included, how it works, typical timelines, pricing approach and what happens after someone gets in touch. Note what makes you different from alternatives. If you are not sure how to describe your differences, a copywriter can interview you, but having notes ready speeds this up considerably.

4. Gather proof

Visitors trust evidence more than claims. Collect testimonials with permission to use them, reviews, client or partner logos, awards, certifications, numbers such as years in business or projects completed, and short case studies. Copywriters can weave these into the pages where they matter most, close to the moment of decision.

5. Brand voice and examples

Share your brand voice notes or describe how you want to sound: friendly, expert, calm, bold or playful. Include two or three websites whose writing you like, and say why. List words or phrases to avoid. A consistent voice across pages makes the site feel professional. If you have none, a brand voice writer can create a guide first.

6. Competitors and keywords

Name a few competitors and what you think they do well or poorly. If search traffic matters, share keyword research or ask the copywriter whether they include it. Copy should use the words people search for naturally, while still reading well for humans. Ask for page titles and meta descriptions as part of the delivery.

7. Coordinate with design

Copy and design work best together. Tell the copywriter about any layout constraints, such as short hero headlines, button text limits or card sections. Small interface texts like buttons, form labels and error messages are often forgotten; a UX writer or your copywriter can handle them. If the design already exists, share it so the copy fits the space.

8. Plan the review

Decide who needs to approve the copy and gather everyone's feedback into one document before sending it to the writer. Check every claim, price and detail for accuracy. Read the pages aloud to catch awkward phrases. After launch, watch how visitors behave and test improvements to key pages over time.

Common website copy mistakes

The most common problems are headlines that describe the company instead of the customer's benefit, pages that list features without explaining why they matter, and calls to action that are vague or hidden. Another frequent issue is writing for everyone, which ends up speaking to no one in particular. Long blocks of text without headings are hard to scan on phones. A good copywriter will lead with what the visitor gets, use clear headings and short paragraphs, and place a specific next step on every page. Keep these points in mind when reviewing drafts, and ask the writer to explain the reasoning behind their structure.

Preparation checklist

• Page list with each page's job.
• Customer descriptions, questions and real wording.
• Offer details and points of difference.
• Testimonials, reviews and other proof.
• Voice notes and example websites.
• Competitors and keyword research.
• Design constraints and an approval process.

Our website content guide explains how to compare copywriters and what packages usually include.