How to Find and Revamp Underperforming Website Copy
Your website is often one of the first places people go to learn about your business. It tells them who you are, what you do and, hopefully, why they should choose you. But if you’re not getting any enquiries, clicks or engagement, there may be an issue. Before you start thinking about a complete website redesign, take a closer look at your copy.
Sometimes, the problem isn't how your website looks. It's what your words are (or aren't) telling your visitors. Maybe your messaging is a little vague, your calls to action aren't clear, or your content no longer reflects what your business offers. Whatever the reason, underperforming website copy doesn't always need a complete rewrite. A few thoughtful changes could make a real difference.
Here, we'll discuss how to identify website copy that's not pulling its weight, work out what's going wrong and make practical improvements that help your content work harder for your business.
What does underperforming website copy actually look like?
First things first: how do you know if your website copy is underperforming?
It's not always as obvious as having no visitors or enquiries. Sometimes, your website is attracting plenty of traffic, but those visitors aren't taking the next step. Other times, important pages aren't getting much attention at all. Here are a few signs that your copy might need some attention:
Your website gets visitors, but few enquiries: People are finding you, but they're not contacting you, booking a call or requesting a quote.
Your important pages aren't attracting much traffic: Your service pages or blog posts might not be appearing in search results as often as you'd like.
Visitors don't seem to engage with your content: People might land on a page and leave without exploring your website further.
Your calls to action aren't getting results: Visitors aren't clicking through, signing up or taking the next step.
Your messaging feels outdated: Perhaps your business has evolved, but your website still talks about services you no longer offer or doesn't reflect your current audience.
Your copy sounds like everyone else's: You're using generic phrases that don't explain what makes your business different.
Of course, these signs don't automatically mean your copy is the problem. Website performance can be affected by technical issues, page speed, user experience, pricing, traffic quality and plenty of other factors. The important thing is to look at the bigger picture before deciding what needs changing.
1. Start with a website copy audit
Essentially, you're looking at your existing content to understand what's working, what's not and where there's room for improvement. This doesn’t need to overwhelm you. Start with your most important pages. These might include your homepage, service pages, product pages, landing pages and popular blog posts.
For each page, think about the following:
What is this page supposed to achieve?
Who is it written for?
Is the main message clear?
Does it answer the questions my audience is likely to have?
Is there a clear next step for visitors?
Is the information still accurate and relevant?
Is the page performing as well as I'd expect?
Try to be honest with yourself. It's easy to become attached to words you've spent hours writing, but your website copy needs to serve your audience, not just look good to you. You could even create a simple spreadsheet to record each page, your observations and the changes you'd like to make. Don't feel like you have to audit your entire website in one afternoon, either. Start with one or two key pages and work through the rest when you have time.
2. Use website analytics to find the pages that need attention
Your website data can tell you a lot about how people interact with your content. Rather than guessing which pages need improving, use tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console to identify areas worth investigating.
Organic search traffic
Are your important pages attracting visitors from search engines? If a page has little organic traffic, it might be worth reviewing its relevance, search intent and SEO. However, low traffic can also reflect limited demand, competition or technical problems.
Search impressions and click-through rates
Google Search Console can show how often your pages appear in search results and how frequently people click through. If a page gets plenty of impressions but relatively few clicks, your page title or meta description might not be giving searchers a compelling reason to visit.
Engagement and navigation
Look at how visitors move through your website. Are they exploring related pages, or leaving without taking another step? This information can help you decide where to investigate further, although leaving a page isn't always a bad thing if the visitor has already found what they need.
Conversions and enquiries
For service businesses, enquiries, consultation bookings and quote requests can be useful metrics. If a key page attracts relevant visitors but generates few enquiries, review whether the messaging, supporting information and call to action are meeting their needs.
The trick is to use data as a starting point, not the whole answer. Analytics can highlight a potential problem, but you'll still need to look at the page itself to understand what might be causing it.
3. Identify what's not working in your copy
Once you've identified a page that needs attention, you need to look more closely at the words. Often, underperforming website copy comes down to a few common issues.
Your messaging isn't clear enough
When someone lands on your website, they should be able to understand what you do and who you help without having to work for it.
You're talking about your business instead of your customer
It's natural to want to explain your experience, achievements and services. These things matter, but your audience also wants to know what's in it for them.Instead of focusing entirely on what you do, connect your services to the challenges your customers want to solve. You can still talk about your expertise. Just make sure you explain how that expertise benefits the people you're trying to reach.
Your headlines are too vague
Headlines help visitors navigate your website and quickly understand what each section is about. You don't need to make every heading long or complicated. Aim for clarity first, and add personality where it feels natural.
You're leaving important questions unanswered
Imagine a potential customer is interested in your service but can't work out what's included, how the process works or what happens after they get in touch. They might leave to look for answers elsewhere.
Think about the questions your audience is likely to have and make sure your website addresses them. Depending on your business, that could mean explaining your process, outlining service options, adding frequently asked questions or providing examples of previous work.
Your calls to action aren't clear
Every important page should make it reasonably obvious what someone can do next. Phrases such as “Click here” or “Find out more” can be useful in the right context, but they don't always explain what the visitor will get.
Try making your calls to action more specific.
For example:
“Book a discovery call”
“Explore our copywriting services”
“Request a website review”
“Get a quote for your project”
Choose wording that reflects the next step and feels appropriate for where the visitor is in their decision-making process.
4. How to revamp your website copy without starting from scratch
Once you know what's not working, you can look at how to improve it. The good news is that you don't need to rewrite every page from top to bottom. Focus on the changes that address the biggest problems first.
Step 1: Make your main message clearer
Can visitors quickly understand what you're offering and why it matters to them? Try writing a simple sentence that explains what you do, who you help and the value you provide. You can refine the wording afterwards, but getting the message right gives you a solid foundation.
Step 2: Give your headlines a refresh
Your headline should help readers understand the page and encourage them to keep reading. Avoid relying on clever wording alone. A little creativity is great, but clarity should always come first. You can always use a more playful phrase elsewhere on the page to bring in your brand voice.
Step 3: Make your copy easier to read
Even useful information can become difficult to digest when it's presented in large blocks of text. Break up your content with descriptive headings, shorter paragraphs and bullet points where appropriate. Put important information where readers can find it easily, and remove sentences that don't add anything meaningful. Remember, you're not trying to make the page shorter for the sake of it. You're making it easier for people to find and understand what they need.
Step 4: Add details that build trust
People want to feel confident before choosing a business, especially when they're spending money or sharing their information.Depending on your business, you might strengthen your copy with:
Relevant testimonials and customer reviews.
Examples of previous projects.
Clear explanations of your process.
Answers to frequently asked questions.
Specific information about your services and what customers can expect.
Only include evidence and claims you can support. Genuine, relevant details are much more useful than vague promises about delivering exceptional results.
Step 5: Improve your calls to action
Once you've made the page clearer, check whether your call to action fits the information you've provided.For example, someone reading a detailed service page might be ready to request a quote, while someone reading an introductory blog post might prefer to explore a related guide. Make the next step relevant, easy to understand and straightforward to complete.
Step 6: Review your SEO naturally
Your website copy should reflect the language your audience uses when searching for your products, services or expertise. Check that the page covers the right topic, addresses relevant search intent and uses descriptive headings. Include relevant keywords naturally, but don't force them into sentences where they don't belong. It's also worth checking your page title, meta description and internal links.
5. Don't forget about search intent
One of the most important questions to ask when reviewing website copy is: Does this page give visitors what they came here for? This is where search intent comes in. Put simply, search intent is the reason behind someone's search.
For example, someone searching for “website copywriting services” is likely exploring potential providers. They'll probably want to understand what you offer, who you work with, how your process works and how to get in touch. Someone searching for “how to write better website headlines” is more likely looking for advice they can use themselves.
If your page doesn't match what people are looking for, even well-written copy might struggle to meet their expectations. Take a look at the search terms bringing people to your website, where that data is available. Consider whether your page answers the questions behind those searches and whether the content delivers on what the headline or search result promises. The aim is to make sure the right visitors find information that's genuinely useful to them.
6. Measure the impact of your changes
Once you've updated your copy, it's tempting to move straight on to the next task. But don't forget to check whether your changes are making a difference. Before you make significant updates, record a few relevant performance measures so you have something to compare against later.
Give the changes enough time to produce useful data. The right timeframe will depend on how much traffic the page receives and how frequently people convert. It's also worth remembering that results can be affected by seasonality, changes in traffic, other website updates and wider search trends. A change in performance doesn't automatically prove that your copy was the cause.
7. Your website copy audit checklist
Use this checklist the next time you review an important page.
Is the purpose of the page clear?
Does the headline explain what the page is about?
Is the copy written with the intended audience in mind?
Does it explain the benefits of your product or service?
Have you answered the questions visitors are likely to have?
Is the content accurate and up to date?
Is the page easy to scan and read?
Does the copy reflect relevant search intent?
Is there a clear and appropriate call to action?
Have you checked the page's performance data?
Do you know how you'll measure the impact of your changes?
You don't have to tackle everything at once. Choose one important page, identify the areas that need attention and start with the improvements most likely to help your audience. Small steps are much easier to manage than trying to overhaul your entire website in one go.
Make your website copy work harder
Your website copy doesn't have to be perfect the moment you publish it. As your business grows, your audience changes and your services evolve, your content should evolve with you.
The key is to stop treating your website as something you write once and forget about. Check in with your content regularly, pay attention to how people use your site and look for opportunities to make your messaging clearer and more helpful.
And remember, underperforming copy doesn't always mean bad copy. Sometimes, a headline needs refining. Sometimes, visitors need more information. And sometimes, the problem sits outside the words altogether. Start with the evidence, focus on your audience and make improvements with a clear purpose.
Want to get more from your website copy?
Get in touch with Between the Lines Creative and let's make your words work harder for your business.
