Writing is hard. You already know that since you’ve been trying to perfect your homepage copy for quite some time now. Still, something’s missing. You have made all the preparations; you have followed all the lengthy checklists and listicles on building your homepage, researching, and analyzing your audience. You’ve built your buyer’s persona and built your content strategy based on data. Yet here you are—still not quite satisfied with what you’ve got.

Yes, that’s a problem most business owners face when creating their homepage, so you’re not alone. Your copy sounds generic. It sounds… weak, insincere, ineffective. Yet, you followed every “How to write homepage copy” tips and tricks to the letter. So, what’s missing?

Well, it’s hard to explain, but there are some unspoken rules for writing a winning homepage that affect the audience on a deeper level. These are the things that make the difference between an AI-generated copy that follows all the rules and marketing best practices and a genuinely crafted copy that would stand out, be noticed, and make a difference.

Of course, you need some personal experience to write such a copy, but following these rules will give you a hint when you are in doubt about how to proceed with your homepage copywriting.

So, let’s get started.

1. Put The Solution Front And Center

That’s hardly something you couldn’t figure out on your own. People are looking for a solution. They are not looking for a product or a service. So, putting your product front and center will always fail. No one is interested in your brand’s name, what you think of your product or a personal greeting or thank you note.

For example, check out Tim’s Landscaping Telford website.

Sure, the H1 here gives some basic information, like the industry and the region it services. However, that hardly draws attention. Moreover, the sub-heading provides the exact same information. There is no solution. For example, an H1 like “Make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood” speaks far more to the customer’s desires. After all, this was the reason they looked for a landscaping company. If they simply wanted to get their grass cut, they could have paid any of the neighborhood children.

However, that’s not the worst headline you can muster. Sharpie, for example, crashes and burns far more spectacularly in their attempt at an original H1. Check out this Heading section:

Sure, Sharpie is a well-known brand that can afford a bit more vague headlines, but still, this heading is simply horrendous. It gives absolutely no information about the brand, the product, or what problem it solves.

Now, this version, on the other hand,

gives precise answers to people who might be interested in their product. It shows that the product works on almost any surface, and the sub-heading ascertains this further.

So, when writing your headline, make sure to explain how your product or service will solve the user’s main problem and satisfy their deepest desires. That’s the key to success.

2. Keep Your H1 Concise

That’s another thing. The headlines should be short and sweet. The role of your headline is not to convince but rather to impress and draw attention. So, to make it perfect, you should try to keep it as short as possible and never exceed 60 characters (including spaces and special symbols). 60 characters may sound a bit arbitrary, but that’s the limit Google uses to show in its search results. Naturally, you’d want your entire message to be visible when someone stumbles upon your page in Google’s search results.

But Google’s using this number for a far more common reason. People don’t want to spend time reading novels to understand what your website is all about. They are looking for a solution and have plenty of options on their browser.

Usually, when a user is searching for an answer, they open 5-10 tabs at a time to find the best solution for their needs. Naturally, they don’t want to waste more than a few seconds on them if they do not offer a suitable solution. So, writing a long and heavy headline is counterproductive. It’s the same as someone entering your bakery asking if you offer gluten-free croissants. You won’t start telling them your secret recipe and where you get your products. You will give them a straight answer. That’s precisely what you should do when writing your H1.

To be most effective, focus on a single benefit—the one that will draw the most customers. For example, if you offer gluten-free pastries that are also from a local farm and use natural ingredients, the latter features of your snacks will attract more people’s attention.

So, focus on a single selling point and represent it as straightforward as possible in your headline.

3. Show Confidence and Knowledge

Now, there are those who will tell you to avoid sounding smart. That hardly makes sense if you want to be an authority in your industry. Sure, you mustn’t use overcomplicated terms and industry-specific lingo, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show off your expertise. On the contrary, that’s precisely what you must be doing.

The main goal of your homepage is to inspire trust and credibility. So, showing confidence and knowledge will take you a long way. Luckily, that’s not that hard. All you need is the right words and avoid some commonly used parasitic phrases.

First and foremost, forget about words and phrases that show doubt. For example, which sounds more confident:

A: This should solve your problem

B: This will solve your problem

The difference is quite minimal, indeed, but it shows that A has some doubts about the outcome. “Yeah, it should work, but it might not.”

B, on the other hand, is certain of the outcome. “It will work. If it doesn’t, the problem is elsewhere, not in what we were fixing until now.”

The same goes for parasitic phrases like “In my opinion.” This phrase is usually used by interns who are afraid their manager will yell at them for a mistake. You are not an intern; you are an expert. You don’t express opinions; you talk with facts. So, stand your proverbial ground and show some confidence in your opinions. Use the right words to convey your confidence and knowledge.

4. Don’t Underestimate The Word’s Meaning

Speaking of words, those have a meaning, you know. Yes, you probably have noticed that any word we use translates certain information. For example, when you tell your friends you are hungry, you give them the information that you need sustenance. However, if you tell them you want pizza, this gives far more information. You are not just hungry; you are hungry for a specific food, and not just any dish will do. To translate this into marketing terms, using the precise terms will save you space and convey your message far better than simply using any synonym.

One of the most common mistakes business owners make is using the phrase “will give you the chance…” as a synonym for “allows you to…” or “gives you the opportunity…” At first glance, the three can be used interchangeably, but unfortunately, they convey completely different subtexts.

“Gives you the chance…” implies uncertainty. You won’t receive the desired outcome, but you will have the chance to get it. But it’s not up to you. That’s what “chance” is – an event or circumstance outside your control.

“Allows you to….” subtextually implies that you, as a provider, have full control over the outcome. If they get your permission, you will allow them to solve their problem. It’s a done deal. They don’t have to do anything more than just get your blessing. For example, “Subscribing to our paid service will allow you to get to twice as fast service.” There’s no additional action needed here.

Finally, “gives you the opportunity…” implies that the product will only assist in the solution. Still, the outcome is entirely dependent on the user’s additional actions.

So, choose carefully the words you are using. They have a strict subtextual meaning, which can make or break your entire copy.

5. Use Powerful Words

There’s another thing about words. Some of them evoke a more emotional response from users than others. These are the so-called powerful words. They don’t just convey information but also emotion.

For example, if you tell someone that their favorite team lost the game, they will get the memo. They played, they lost.

However, if you tell them, “Your team got devastated,” this adds an additional emotional toll.

In marketing, emotions are your friends as long as you know how to work with them. You need to carefully consider when customers should feel high emotions and when they should have a clear mind.

Powerful words instantly draw attention and arouse an emotional reaction. For example, a plain “…with a beautiful design” conveys the information that the product is objectively beautiful. However, “… with a majestic design” adds a dash of pride and showcases the nobility of the product. It conveys not only that the product is beautiful but that you will be proud of using it.

However, don’t overdo it with powerful words. For example, using them in the headline is fine, as you want to draw the user’s attention and provoke an emotional response. However, in the offer section on your homepage, you’d like them to make a more level-headed consideration of whether your product will meet their needs.

6. Never Start With A Negative

The subconscious effects of words can truly bring you a long way. Actually, using specific words can establish the user’s mood for the entire duration of their stay. Thus, using negative words at the beginning of sentences, especially in the Headling, CTAs, and the offer section, is a huge no-no. That doesn’t mean you must avoid these negative words like the plague. It simply means not using them to start a sentence.

Negative words can affect the user’s overall demeanor and, naturally, their experience. Moreover, they will instantly become much more reserved and disagreeable due to their intuitive defensive coping mechanism. Usually, when you are in a negative setting, you become far more distant and defensive, ready to leave.

On the contrary, in a more welcoming and positive environment, users are far more agreeable, open to conversation, and ready to purchase.

Now, avoiding the obvious negative words is easy enough. However, you must also avoid words that are perceived as negative. These can be quite obvious, like “debt,” “fear,” “mistake,” “regret,” “guilt,” “problem,” “failure,” and others.

But they can also be as innocent as “forget” or “never.” These two are most often used in copywriting. You’ve most likely heard the famous “Forget about [add problem] with [Brand].” Yes, that puts a negative demeanor on your product. So, instead, give it a positive spin. For example, instead of “Lose weight with [product],” go for “Gain confidence by losing weight with [product].”

Always keep your audience positive and happy. This is your main goal with your UX, color choices, and images. So, why should words be any different?

7. Numbers Are Your Friend

There is a joke: “93% of people believe in fake statistics.” Yeah, it’s not the best one out there, but it perfectly illustrates the point we’re trying to make. People believe in numbers. They are convincing, credible, and, more often than not, easy to check. Moreover, they grab attention, make your page much more scannable, and are often what the user subconsciously looks for.

Indeed, users are drawn to numbers, mainly because whenever someone looks for a product or a service, they want to know the price.

Still, numbers are far more meaningful. They offer clarity and specificity. For example, “We have many happy customers” doesn’t have the same ring as “We have more than 10,000 happy customers.”

Furthermore, it gives users the impression that you’ve done your research and offer factual, well-researched numbers.

And then there is the visual component. Numbers are vastly different symbols than letters. So, they instantly draw attention. For example, if I list some numbers

one

two

three

4

five

six

7

eight

night

ten

Which are the first two numbers that caught your eye.

So, whenever possible, use numbers and percentages. However, avoid numbers and numerical symbols when you’re looking for an emotional reaction. Like in the headline, for instance. Numbers, unfortunately, are factual agents, so they will undermine your effort.

8. Use The Power Of Three

Speaking of numbers, you can use numerology in more than one way. For example, you can use the power of three as a persuasive copywriting trick. The power of three has never been proven scientifically, but empirically, it works wonders.

The Power of Three is a writing principle rooted in the idea that information presented in groups of three is more satisfying, effective, and memorable for readers.

In practice, adding three adjectives to a noun will make the statement far more believable and attractive. For example,

This concept is most often used in headlines and CTA’s, but it can help you wherever you want to draw additional attention and confirm a specific idea.

9. Words Draw Attention Better than Images

Speaking of drawing attention, there are more linguistic tricks that can help you do it far better than any color or image.

Among the most common methods is the Rhetorical Question. With this method, the copywriter asks a question without expecting an explicit answer from the reader. The point is to engage the user with the question and install the idea. This method is most often used in CTAs or headlines: “Are you ready to change your life?”

“Why settle for less?”

The Juxtaposition presents two contrasting or unexpected comparisons that instantly draw attention and stick in the user’s mind. “Luxury that’s affordable” is a great example.

One of the less-used but extremely effective linguistic tricks is alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. This creates a specific catchy rhythm that sticks in the user’s mind.

Anaphoras are also a great way to capture the user’s attention, but they have some bad rep due to Google’s helpful content guides. An anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. It emphasizes a concept and adds a poetic rhythm.

“Every day. Every hour, Every moment.”

However, Google is not a fan of three consecutive sentences starting with the same word, so many copywriters forsake this method of drawing attention.

Regardless of the method you choose, this is a great way to make your message memorable and catchy.

10. Mimic Authentic Speech Rhythm

While using these linguistic methods is excellent for driving attention to where it’s needed, you shouldn’t make your copy heavy to read. Sure, it must be emotionally heavy where it matters, but it should also be relatable. It would help if you didn’t sound like a snob.

That’s why your copy must mimic the authentic speech rhythm of your audience. In other words, make it sound as if you’re talking to your audience at a pub. Use the same speech patterns. For example, the offer section, “Our tool will enhance your overall productivity while supplementing your team’s work-life balance,” will sound pretentious, unrelatable and instantly lose any user. Instead, go with “Get more done for less time, without burning out. [Product] will do it for you.” You can feel the difference yourself.

So, try to speak to your customers as they speak to each other. Sure, be the smartest guy in the room. That’s the point. You are giving the solution. But, as the smartest guy, you also must know how to communicate with your peers. And, yes, considering them as your peers will bring you a long way.

11. The First Draft Is Always Bad

Finally, you’re ready with the copy. But don’t be so hasty. This was only the first draft, and practice shows that the first draft is always bad. It lacks the refinement it needs to shine. You need to polish it, check the emotional triggers, enhance the flow, and consider whether the customer journey is precise.

The first draft is gathering your thoughts. You can’t expect it to be perfect. It never is. You need to sleep on it, consider the possibilities, review each word again, and see if another term won’t convey the message better.

Usually, for an excellent copy, the copywriter goes through at least three drafts before finishing the project. So, even if you’re better than a professional copywriter, these practices are there for a reason.

More importantly, give yourself at least a few hours between reviewing your work. If you can spare an entire day – even better.

12. You Won’t See All Your Mistakes

Finally, when you are satisfied with your copy, you must find a second set of eyes to look through it. You have been working so long on this text that you will no longer see obvious mistakes. Sure, some tools like Grammarly can help you, but they often miss some obvious errors. For example, instead of “spare,” you might have written “spear.” That’s a fair mistake, but it’s one that Grammarly or any other tool will not register.

So, make sure to ask a second set of eyes to go through your text and mark all the mistakes you’ve made. And yes, there will be mistakes.

If you have a third set of eyes – even better.

One more thing

Finally, when your copy is ready and online, there is the small matter of reaching the public. Now, you may have the most brilliant copy in the world, yet if your hosting infrastructure fails you, all your efforts will be for nothing.

HostArmada is here to prevent that from happening. We offer lightning-fast speed, state-of-the-art security, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee (See, an enhanced version of the “power of three” concept). With our infrastructure behind your back, your copy will be able to reach its high potential and guarantee you fast and steady growth.

So, before you plunge into the copywriting rabbit hole, ensure your website is ready to receive all the new traffic your brilliant copy will bring. Check out our plans and choose the one that best suits your needs.