How to craft custom copy for template websites – without relying on AI!

Congrats! You’ve purchased your new website template. You’re ready to roll. It’s going to look amazing – and you’ve finally invested in something that elevates your brand, without the heavy custom website design price tag. The thing is, with this shiny new website at your feet, you may now be thinking, is my existing website copy going to work on my new website – within my new website template?

Probably not! Or at least, even if you could make the copy work, your new website surely deserves some careful thought when it comes to your messaging, copy, and SEO. After all, with a new website often comes new opportunities — it’s time to grasp it.

In this blog post, I share the fundamentals of writing for your website template—whether Showit, Squarespace, Wix or any other platform. Rest assured, you’ve invested money in a great-looking website design; now, let’s help you get the web copy to match. Keep reading…

Wait! Can’t I use AI to write my web copy?

Let’s address the elephant in the room: AI. As a website copywriter, I always seem to be on the defensive about this one. But let me be clear: This is not an anti-AI ranty blog. This is a yes-you-can-absolutely-use-AI-but-here’s-why-writing-your-copy-as-a-real-freaking-human-can-be-amazing-and-how-to-do-it blog.

I can guarantee that you’ve felt the frustration of AI copywriting tools. They’re just not quite right, or they don’t feel like you, or they’re taking too much time up (ironically!) because they just need tweaking and inputting and tweaking. And sometimes, wouldn’t it be quicker — and more effective — to simply write it yourself?

If this is you, keep reading – we’re about to dive in. But if you’re thinking, “No, AI is great and fine to write my copy,” then absolutely X out. I say this with only kindness, but this blog probably isn’t for you. 

Step 1: Understand your website design key features and elements

Before you start your copy, I want you to forget the copywriting part. Eh? Yes, bear with me!

Start by getting to grips with what your website template is already giving you. Take a good look around and understand what content blocks are available for you to ‘fill in’ – and how that aligns with your business set-up.

A great place to start is by heading over to your services page on the website copy template. Knowing how many services you have — and how they are split up — can help you identify where on the template specific parts of your copy will go.

Understanding how your website template functions is a great way to start writing for it. After all, copy and design should always work together.

Step 2: Work out your message across the whole site

Ah, your message! It’s so important. It’s the thing that pulls everything together — and makes every piece of copy work together — to make your prospective clients feel super confident in the value you can offer them. 

To get started with your messaging, ask yourself what is the MAIN thing you want your audience to take away from your website — and your overall brand? If you had one thing to communicate, what would it be? This message should bring all your web copy together — so it will be on your homepage (duh!), but also across your about page, services page, any sales pages, contact page and all your marketing efforts.

If it’s feeling like a lot. I get it. Your messaging can sometimes be tough to distil. Why not say hello, and ask how I can help?

Step 3: Do your keyword research

This will always be one of my top priorities as an SEO copywriter. You have to do keyword research to determine what your audience — and your ideal client — is actually looking for.

I recommend hopping over to Google’s free Keyword Planner and starting with what you think people are searching for when it comes to your industry and service. Play around with it, and take note of those results. Sometimes, it can surprise you.

Once you’ve done that, follow these steps

• Note down your primary keyword for each page
• Make a list of any secondary keywords
  Have this list fresh in your mind
• Put the list away (yep, trust me!)
• Write your copy (no list in front of you… write it naturally)
• Dig out your list again
• Review your website copy with your keyword strategy (primary keyword + secondary keywords)

The aim is to integrate any keywords into your copy naturally.

Erm. Isn’t that keyword stuffing? No. Not at all. Unless you’re sticking in a keyword for the sake of a keyword every other sentence. Instead, only insert keywords where they amplify the meaning of the sentence, and actually make what you’re saying clearer for your reader.

Often, you’ll find that adding keywords actually makes your web copy tighter – as well as SEO-friendly. 

Step 4: Start with your headings (but don’t sweat the details)

Step 1 should have given you insight into what goes where. So, now, let’s bring your headings to life.

Crawl through each page and decide what your key scannable copy is going to be. Your signposts. The things that catch those (lovely potential client) eyes. The copy that gives a snapshot. Note them down. But remember, they’re not set in stone. You can change them again later.

Writing your headings will help you feel confident in your flow when writing – helping you to further ‘fill in the gaps’. 

Step 5: Write your copy within the boundaries of your template

Now, this is a tough one! Of course, as a website copywriter, I’m always going to tell you that website copy informs website strategy and design. It’s true. Website copy comes first. Also true. Many website designers will agree with me! But that isn’t always practical if you’ve already invested in a lovely website template.

However, did you know that many website designers offer a template customisation service? My lovely colleague Jess @ Little Hound Creative does exactly this for Showit website templates. It’s a great way to create a customised look for less. Just be sure to check the T&Cs of the template you’re purchasing!

So here’s my tip: Write your copy understanding how the template works and following the flow. But if you feel you need extra breathing space, another content block, or simply something doesn’t work there, then move it around and investigate customising your website template. It is so much more valuable to invest in a template that can flex to accommodate your messaging and website copy than trying to make your copy work into an exact fit. It likely won’t. 

Step 6: Consider additional (SEO) uplifts

My final tip for any website copywriting — including template customisation — is SEO uplifts. Beyond keyword optimisation, there are so many vital tweaks you can make to your copy. From ‘teardrop’ copy to adding footer copy, check out this blog for ‘secret’ gems that will make your template website perform much stronger.

And there you have it! 6 steps to help you write better copy for your shiny new website template — be it Showit, Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, or whatever! I hope this helps.

If you need help writing copy for your template website, check out my plug-in copywriting service. Or get in touch here.