Key Takeaways (TLDR)
Topic: 7 Common website copy mistakes small business owners make and the specific fixes for each one to improve connection, clarity, and conversion.
What you’ll learn: Your website is your digital front door, and the copy on it is either inviting the right people in or sending them somewhere else. This post covers seven of the most common and fixable website copy mistakes: speaking to everyone instead of someone specific, lacking a clear value proposition, burying your calls to action, using too much industry jargon, overstuffing pages with information, sounding generic instead of distinctly you, and focusing on features instead of benefits. Each mistake comes with a practical fix you can start applying today.
Who this is for: Entrepreneurs, coaches, service providers, and small business owners who suspect their website copy isn’t working as hard as it should, or who are ready to do an honest audit and make changes that actually improve results.
Written by: Emily Aborn, Small Business Copywriter, Podcast Host of the Small Business Casual Podcast, based in NH.
The Business Owner's Guide to Fixing Your Website
“Knock, knock”…
“Who’s there?”
“Your website”…
Kidding, I’ll stop. This joke is already going nowhere good, I can see.
Let’s start this off on a different note.
Your website is your digital front door.
Is yours inviting the right people in?
As small business owners, we juggle a lot (not that you need me to tell you that), and our website copy often gets thrown together or tossed aside and forgotten entirely.
In this blog, you’ll find 7 website copy mistakes that are relatively simple to fix to help you turn things around for better connection and conversion on your home sweet home page.
Website Copy Mistake #1) Speaking to Everyone instead of Someone
“Wait, Emily, is this a riddle!? If I’m speaking to everyone, aren’t I speaking to someone?”
When your website copy is vague or generic, in hopes of appealing to everyone, it ends up speaking to no one. Instead, when you use specific, emotional, and resonant language that makes your client feel individually seen, you’re speaking to someone.
The Fix: Get clear about your ideal client and write directly to them (I like to visualize just ONE person when I’m writing. And yes, right now that person is YOU 👀). Show them you understand their problems, reflect their values, and can help.
Website Copy Mistake #2) No Clear Value Proposition
I wish our website copy were about us. But, alas, it’s about THEM. Our websites need to clearly explain why now and why choose you. Consider why people choose you over the competition. What sets you apart from the noise? Highlight these on your website.
The Fix: Get clear on why someone should choose you. Add 1-2 sentences that explain what you do, who you help, and the transformational/result they can expect.
Website Copy Mistake #3) Burying the Lede
Burying the call to action (or hiding it way down at the bottom) might seem “nice”.
It might seem “less salesy” but it usually just ends up being confusing! If there’s no clear next step, people may leave your site due to frustration in not knowing which step to take to work with you, purchase your product or service, listen to your podcast, etc.
The Fix: Use strategic calls to action throughout your homepage copy as well as buttons, links, or prompts that guide people forward with confidence.
Website Copy Mistake #4) Using Too Much Insider Jargon
Industry lingo, jargon, complex vernacular, insider language…call it what you will, at the end of the day, it’s all just confusing.
In layman’s terms: Using big words on your website makes them leave to go find a snack.
If you confuse, you lose. Whenever possible, keep language simple, straightforward, and pass on the jargon.
The Fix: Write like a human to a human. Read it aloud after you write – could your ideal client understand it (without getting out their dictionary!)?
Website Copy Mistake #5) Overstuffing with Information
My least favorite website copywriting projects are when small business owners try to cram everything onto one page. I kindly have to let them know that trying to say everything creates overwhelm and clutter. Your website can’t contain the entirety of what you’ve learned over the past 10+ years, and it doesn’t need to encapsulate every last detail of your intricate process.
The Fix: Cut, cull, and curate a message that has clarity and flow. Lead with the most important information and bring them places to explore deeper (ie. your About page, Contact page, Portfolio pages, etc.)
Website Copy Mistake #6) Lacking Personality or Voice
Just like we don’t want you speaking to anyone and everyone, we also don’t want you sounding like anyone and everyone!
If your copy feels robotic, generic, (ahem, AI-generated), or like it could belong to anyone in your industry… we need to talk.
We didn’t come here for boring, bland, and flavorless fortune cookie-cutter copy, my friend! We came here for YOUR voice and personality popping through on the page.
The Fix: Define and infuse your brand voice. Use tone, phrasing, and examples that reflect you and build a genuine connection. Sidebar: If you need help, I know someone 🙋🏻♀️
Website Copy Mistake #7) Placing Features over Benefits
Features are the tangible elements of a product or service.
Think like the “What’s Included” in what you do.
For most people, features aren’t very interesting to read about. The features aren’t (usually) why they’re seeking you out. Features can be a bit, well, dull.
Benefits on the other hand: are the emotions, feelings, and needs filled by the product or service offerings.
The emotions and the practical advantage.
Your website copy will usually share your services and offerings, but you don’t need to ramble on about every feature included without anchoring them in meaningful benefits.
The Fix: For every feature you have on your website, see if you can tie it together with a benefit, a deeper reason. Show them why it matters and what the emotional or practical result will be.
One person’s “simple” is another person’s week of work…
I recognize that when I say these are “simple” fixes, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re “easy”.
- You may need to get clearer before you make these changes
- You may not know how to correct these mistakes on your actual website copy
- You may not know where to begin when writing your website copy
- You may not know how to update the backend of your website with your changes
- You may not WANT to do any of these things
If you’re in that boat, remember two things:
- You don’t have to make all these changes at once. Take your time and take it step by step. Big changes add up!
- If you need help, you can contact ME! I can offer you an extra set of eyes, write it for you, guide you in refinement, the possibilities, are as they say, endless!
About Me
Want to know a little secret?
I write for a living, and EVEN I struggle to write about myself, for myself at tines. Successfully facing down the blinking cursor of doom is no easy feat and it can stop you from sharing your message with others and getting your business seen.
I’m Emily Aborn, a Small Business Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host.
Since 2014, I’ve helped 1,000’s of small business owners in over 123 industries increase their visibility by clearly and succinctly connecting with those they love to work with! I help relationship-based businesses creatively build community through their marketing.
For fun, I love hiking, game nights, listening to podcasts, reading, and staying cozy.
I’m excited to connect and learn more about YOU!
Email me: emily@emilyaborn.com
And connect with me on your favorite platforms:
FAQ: Website Copy Mistakes
Why isn’t my website converting visitors into clients?
Most website copy problems come down to one of a handful of root causes: the copy is too vague to speak to anyone specifically, there’s no clear next step for the visitor to take, the language is full of jargon that confuses rather than connects, or the copy focuses on features rather than the benefits and outcomes the client actually cares about. Often it’s a combination of several of these at once. The good news is that these are all fixable, and you don’t have to overhaul everything at once to start seeing improvement.
What does it mean to write website copy for “someone” instead of “everyone”?
When your copy tries to appeal to the broadest possible audience, it ends up resonating with no one in particular. Specific, emotionally resonant language that reflects a real person’s struggles, values, and goals will always outperform generic language that could apply to anyone. A useful practice is to visualize one specific person when you write, someone who represents your ideal client, and write directly to them. If they read it and think “this is exactly me,” your copy is working.
What is a value proposition and do I need one on my website?
A value proposition is a clear, concise statement that tells a visitor what you do, who you help, and what result or transformation they can expect from working with you. Yes, you need one, and it should appear prominently near the top of your homepage rather than buried further down. Most small business websites either skip this entirely or bury it in language so vague it doesn’t communicate anything useful. A strong value proposition answers the visitor’s most urgent question within seconds of landing on your page: “Is this for me?”
What is the difference between features and benefits in website copy?
Features are the tangible elements of what you offer, the what’s included. Benefits are the emotional and practical outcomes your client experiences as a result. Features tend to be dry. Benefits are what actually move people to take action. For every feature you list on your website, try connecting it to a meaningful benefit. Not “I provide weekly check-in calls” but “weekly check-in calls so you never feel stuck or unsure of your next step.” The feature is the “what”. The benefit is the “why it matters”.
How do I make my website copy sound more like me?
Start by reading your current copy out loud. Notice where it sounds stiff, formal, or generic in a way you’d never actually speak. Replace those moments with the words and phrases you naturally use. Use examples and stories that are specific to your experience. Let your sense of humor or warmth come through rather than defaulting to what sounds “professional.” Generic, AI-sounding, or industry-standard copy might feel safe, but it blends in with everything else your ideal client has already scrolled past. Your voice is what makes someone stop and think, “I need to know more about this person.”
