First—what is “conversion copywriting”? You’ll hear the term if you hang around online marketers long enough. A conversion happens when a prospect takes action toward a specific goal, such as booking a service, buying a product, or subscribing to a newsletter. “Conversion copy” includes all the words used to get them to that action. 

But it’s not just words. 

In the words of OG conversion copywriter Joanna Wiebe of Copyhackers, “Conversion copywriting is copy that moves the reader to ‘yes’ using voice-of-customer data, frameworks, formulas, and proven persuasion techniques.”

So, how do you pair voice-of-customer data with proven frameworks and formulas? In this blog, I’ll break down the three essential elements of conversion copywriting:

• Research and strategy 
• Writing and wireframing 
• Testing and editing  

 

This process is similar to what Copyhackers teaches, with a few adjustments to accommodate new and small businesses that have data and budget limitations.

 

Part 01: Research and strategy 

Like journalists, conversion copywriters research to find juicy sound bites. Before you write a single line of copy, you need to know: 

1. Who your audience includes 
2. Their problems and paint points 
3. Their goals and desires 
4. How all this relates to your offer 

 

Where do you get this info? From your customers—or, as Wiebe would say, from your voice-of-customer (VoC) data. If you want your audience to take action, you need to think like them. 

Here are three research methods you can use at almost any stage of business: 

Customer interviews 

Tap into your Rolodex of happy clients/customers, past or present. Find out what pain points prompted them to seek out your product or service—and how it solved their problem. 

Here’s a sample email you can send to request a quick interview: 

Hi [happy client/customer name], 

[Open with something friendly and personal that shows you care, e.g. “I loved your recent YouTube video about xyz!” or “It was great catching up with you on our review call last week!”] 

I’m updating my website copy and would love to work with more amazing clients like you. Would you have time to hop on a quick, 15-minute call to answer a few questions? Or, you could shoot over your answers via [email/audio/video recording]: 

• What was going on in your life that prompted you to seek out [short description of your product/service]? 

• What hesitations did you have about [working with/buying] [description of your service/product]? 
• How has your life improved since [working together/buying product]? 

No pressure, of course. But if you’re willing, I would be so grateful! 

Thank you so much, 

[Your name] 

These questions help you see the “before and after.” Because people don’t just buy your product or service—they buy the transformation it delivers. 

No clients or customers yet? No problem. You can get similar insights by running ongoing audience surveys. 

Audience Surveys

If you have an email list (and you should, but that’s another topic), send a simple survey. Ideally, right after someone takes action (e.g., they subscribe to your newsletter, download a freebie, book a consult, etc.). 

Send an automated survey with these two questions:

1. What prompted you to [the action they took, e.g. “book a legal strategy session” or “learn about calligraphy”] today?   
2. Now that you’ve [taken action, e.g. “booked a legal strategy session” or “downloaded the calligraphy for beginners e-book”], what are you hoping to achieve? 

 

These two questions provide insight into your audience’s problems and goals. Keep these questions open-ended. You don’t want to put words in their mouths by offering multiple choice or yes/no options. 

Review Mining

Review mining is my absolute favorite research method. I use it for every client project because it works at any stage of business. Yes, even if you’re brand new and have no one to survey.

You just need to know a) who your target audience is and b) where to find quotes from them online. Think of it like eavesdropping—or social listening. 

For example, if you sell all-natural dry shampoo, look at reviews for similar products. What do people like and dislike about other products? What problems do they want to solve? 

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of places to find voice-of-customer quotes: 

• Marketplace reviews (Amazon, Etsy, Creative Market, etc.)
• Online business reviews (Google, Yelp, etc.) 
• Social media forums (Reddit, Instagram, Facebook Groups, etc.) 
• Their podcasts and YouTube channels 
• Competitor testimonials and reviews 
• Your own testimonials, reviews, lead forms, client questionnaires, etc. 

 

I organize all my findings in a Google Sheet to reference and find key messaging points for my website copy, like so:

 

Part 02: Write and wireframe

Website copywriting is surprisingly easy if you start with research. Now, you just need to plug your voice-of-customer insights into a website copy framework.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all framework, a conversion-focused website page usually includes: 

• A hero: this is the first section someone sees, so it needs to grab attention with a big, juicy headline. Focus on what your prospect cares about most (e.g. the problem they want to solve, their desired result, etc.). 
• Social proof: build trust and credibility with testimonials, reviews, “featured in” logos, etc. 
• Crossheads: similar to a headline, crossheads move readers from one section to the next. They introduce a specific benefit or feature that keeps people interested. 
• The how: This is where you back up your benefits and claims so far. Tell people how your product or service delivers their desired transformation. 
• The switch: Now, it’s time to address your prospect’s objections or hesitations to saying ‘yes’ to your offer. Why should they move forward?
• The close: This is the final call to action (CTA), where you tell your prospect what to do next. Ask for the conversion. 

 

Write each page of your website with the customer transformation in mind. How do you help people move from problem to solution? This is the story your website must tell.

The next step is to place your copy into a wireframe. Like a blueprint, a wireframe outlines the page structure, layout, content hierarchy, and user flow. You can use a design platform like Figma or Photoshop…

Or, you can keep it simple and use tables in Google Docs to create a light “wireframe” using tables. Below, you can see how I structure my copy in a Google Doc versus how it appears on my live website: 

 

Part 03: Test and edit 

The final step is to test and edit your website copy. Through research, you can develop a hypothesis for high-converting messaging. Now it’s time to test it. There are a few ways to do this:

User testing  

Pros: User testing diagnoses weak spots in your website copy. Services like usertesting.com allow you to get feedback from real people. 

Cons: Running user tests can get expensive, making them impractical for smaller businesses. 

Five-second tests 

Pros: Five-second tests measure a reader’s first impression of your copy. It gives you answers to questions like, “Does the brand sound trustworthy?” and “What do you remember most?” If the answers don’t match your intention, edit. 

Cons: A five-second test only measures first impressions. It doesn’t tell you if that first impression will lead to a conversion. 

Ask your audience  

Pros: You can always run your own test—for free. Akin to interviews and surveys in step one, ask your audience what they take away from your copy. Try to select the least biased people (i.e., if you’re Ann Perkins, don’t ask Leslie Knope). 

Cons: These people already know your brand and have agreed to answer questions. Be aware of pre-existing bias. 

Use your test results to edit for clarity, voice and tone, specificity, and feeling:

• Is your intended message clear to readers?
• Is your voice and tone consistent? 
• Is your copy specific enough to keep people interested?
• Does it get people to feel something? 

 

Read your website copy out loud. Delete any word that doesn’t add something. Pop it into Hemingway App and rework hard-to-read sentences. Make it crisp, clear, and easy to read.  

 

Do I consider myself a conversion copywriter? 

I learned conversion copywriting through Copy School, which is a great curriculum for copywriters. That said, a lot of the methods taught in Copy School rely on having an existing audience and data. This works well for established B2B and SaaS companies, but…

Most of my clients are new and small business owners, so I customize my process to meet you where you’re at. This often includes an emphasis on brand voice development and on-page SEO. 

So, technically, yes—I’m a conversion copywriter specializing in copy for websites. But I also care deeply about how voice, copy, and design work together to build magnetic brands. I work with you to determine your conversion goals. Some clients want quantity. Others want quality. 

Ultimately, I use conversion copywriting formulas and frameworks as a baseline. Then, I layer in on-page SEO to help people find your website—and brand voice to keep them coming back. 

Sound like something your brand could use? Check out my website copywriting services and request a free discovery call. 

Want to learn how to write copy for your website? Join the waitlist for my website copywriting template (launching Fall ‘24).