Why website copywriting is crucial to design

Every creative wants to own their expertise and place on a web project, but the best results come from collaboration – especially between website copywriting and design. For performance, visibility, and user experience to be effective, both elements need to be carefully considered from the outset. 

If you’re a business looking to engage a web designer for a new site or an update, or a web design agency wondering how to elevate your client experience and outcomes, here are a few compelling reasons to find a website copywriting expert to help build your strategy and online presence.  

Yes, content is still king 

You might have heard the phrase ‘content is king’, and while we may be biased as copywriters, it remains as true today as it was when Bill Gates popularised the saying in his 1996 essay of the same title.  

So why is copywriting so essential to integrate into the early stages of the web design process?  

Shaping structure  

Sure, your website needs to look good. No arguments there. But if you’re not considering messaging, information, detail and conversions from the start, even the loveliest layout is going to let you down. Content shapes structure, not the other way around, giving the designer a guide to the user journey required to engage visitors, keep them on-site and convert their visit into an enquiry or purchase.  

Prevent delays and re-designs 

Any website copywriting expert worth their weight can make their words fit a provided design… but just because you can, that doesn’t mean you should. Without considering the content that needs to go on each page, designs often require adjusting to accommodate for headlines, specific sections for essential information and appropriate calls to action. Filling your design with Lorem Ipsum leads to go-live delays and disgruntled designers who need to re-imagine the entire visual layout. Waiting for clients to provide copy or trying to find the right copywriter once the design has already been approved will also cause delays, with the project stalling while you upload or onboard. 

Information hierarchy and flow 

Not all information is equal. While some things need to be stated clearly and concisely, other information requires more in-depth detail and perhaps some visual enhancements to facilitate reader understanding. The flow of information and what’s given precedence on the page needs to be carefully considered, with the design allowing the copywriter to present it in the right place, in the right way.  

Site map and navigation  

Using the skills of a web copywriting specialist from the beginning also allows you to map the entire website out properly. How will a user navigate through the site? What needs to be grouped together and what needs to stand alone? What pages link to others? What are the top-level pages that need to be given immediate visibility?  

SEO/GEO strategy 

Website copywriting alone isn’t enough. To get the maximum value from your site, you also need SEO (search engine optimisation) and AI search signals to be built in from the start. Using a specialist SEO and GEO (generative engine optimisation) copywriter means that your site map, content journey and design structure will be developed around key search terms, user intent and opportunities for AI citations – none of which should be overlooked if you want a site that truly performs and gets results.  

Accessibility  

From writing in plain English, to creating meaningful headings, facilitating skim-reading to developing a logical content order, a website copywriter knows how to deliver accessible information that meets the needs of every possible user. An SEO specialist will also ensure that the meta data, image tags and other ‘invisible’ parts of the puzzle are in place. 

Weaving words into web designs  

Copy and design should never be approached in isolation. Each creative professional on a website project needs to have input from the very first planning meetings. This allows every aspect to harmonise and hit all the crucial factors for audience engagement and meeting the client’s objectives.  

With our experienced SEO website copywriting specialists onboard, your business or agency can ensure a more efficient process and better results – talk to us to find out more.