How To Write Compelling Copy

Copywriting is one of the last things I hand over to a client and one of the first things I fix when I come in behind someone else's work. These principles are what I apply to every website, every email, every campaign I build. Read this to understand what good copy actually does — and why most small business copy misses the mark before the first sentence.

Most small business copy fails before the second sentence. Not because the writing is bad — because it's aimed at the wrong thing. It describes the business instead of speaking to the person reading it.

Here's what that looks like in practice. "We are a full-service marketing agency dedicated to helping businesses grow." That sentence is about you. Your reader doesn't care about you yet. They care about their problem.

Good copy starts there — with the problem, named specifically enough that the right person feels seen. Not "struggling with marketing" but "you've got a website that looks fine and does nothing." Specificity is what makes someone stop scrolling.

From there, copy has one job: move the reader to the next step. Not educate them, not impress them. Move them. That means every sentence earns its place by pulling toward an action — a click, a call, a purchase.

A few things I fix on almost every site I work on:

Headlines that describe instead of compel. If your headline could apply to any business in your category, it's not working hard enough.

Body copy that buries the point. Say the most important thing first. Assume the reader will leave after the third sentence, because most do.

CTAs that ask for too much too soon. "Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call" is a bigger ask than most cold visitors are ready for. Give them a smaller next step.

Copy isn't decoration. It's the thing that either converts a visitor or doesn't. Design gets people to read. Copy gets people to act.

If you want someone to write it for you — and get it right — that's what I do!