After 20 years running a digital marketing agency, I’ve written copy for hundreds of clients — law firms, med spas, car dealerships, e-commerce stores, you name it. I’ve tested headlines, rewritten CTAs at 2am before a campaign launch, and watched conversion rates swing dramatically based on a single word choice. Here’s what I actually know about writing copy that converts.
Stop Writing for Yourself
The biggest mistake I see — from new freelancers and established brands alike — is writing copy that reflects how they think about their product instead of how the customer thinks about their problem. Your customer doesn’t care that your software has “robust multi-tier architecture.” They care that it saves them three hours a week and keeps their boss off their back.
Before I write a single word for a client, I ask them to send me five recent customer emails or reviews. Not their sales deck. Not their brand guidelines. Real words from real buyers. That language — the exact phrases customers use when they’re frustrated, hopeful, or relieved — is the gold mine. Your copy should sound like the people buying it.
Lead With the Problem, Not the Product
I had a client, a personal injury attorney in San Diego, who kept leading with “20 years of experience” and “dedicated to your case.” We rewrote the headline to: “Insurance companies have lawyers. So should you.” Conversions from his landing page tripled in 60 days. Not because we said anything more impressive — because we named the fear the customer was already carrying.
The structure I use every time: problem first, agitate it briefly, then present the solution. This isn’t manipulative — it’s respectful. You’re acknowledging that the person reading your page has a real challenge, and you’re meeting them where they are.
Headlines Are 80% of the Battle
David Ogilvy said it 50 years ago and it’s still true: five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. On digital, it’s even more extreme. You might have two seconds to earn a scroll-down.
My formula for high-converting headlines:
- Identify the specific outcome the prospect wants
- Add specificity (numbers, timeframes, named results)
- Remove adjectives that don’t do work (fast, easy, best)
- Test at least three variants before declaring a winner
“Get More Leads” is not a headline. “How San Diego Law Firms Are Booking 40% More Consultations Without Spending More on Ads” — that’s a headline.
The Call to Action Is Not an Afterthought
CTAs have two jobs: tell the reader exactly what to do, and tell them why doing it right now is worth their time. “Submit” fails at both. “Get My Free Audit” does better. “Get My Free 30-Minute Marketing Audit — I’ll Find 3 Quick Wins for You” does better still.
On a med spa client’s site, we changed “Book Now” to “Claim Your Complimentary Consultation” and saw a 22% increase in form fills within two weeks — same traffic, same page design. The CTA was literally the only variable. That’s how much words matter.
If you want to see how CTA overlays can further lift conversions on top of good copy, check out FollowPerClick, a tool I built specifically around that principle.
Write Short Sentences. Break Paragraphs Early.
Most copy fails on the web because it looks like a wall of text. Nobody reads walls. They scan. Your job is to write something that rewards scanning AND encourages deeper reading.
Rule of thumb: if a paragraph is longer than four lines on a laptop screen, break it. If a sentence needs a semicolon, rewrite it as two sentences. Every paragraph should ideally contain one idea — stated, supported, finished.
Social Proof Is Copy, Too
Testimonials aren’t decoration. They’re some of the most persuasive copy on your page — and most clients bury them at the bottom or strip them of any specificity. A testimonial that says “Great service, highly recommend!” is useless. A testimonial that says “We went from 12 leads per month to 47 leads per month in 90 days after working with Derick” is a conversion machine.
When you’re collecting testimonials, ask specific questions: “What were you worried about before we worked together?” and “What specific result did you see?” Those answers will give you quotable gold.
Trust Signals Reinforce Copy
Your copy can be perfect and still fail if the page doesn’t feel credible. Think about what a first-time visitor sees: Are there logos of real clients? A real photo of a real person? Verifiable credentials? An address? These are trust signals — and they either support your copy or undermine it.
I always recommend pairing strong copy with visible credibility markers. On my own site at derickdowns.com/bio/, I lead with specific experience and client results because vague agency-speak is the fastest way to lose a prospect who found you through search.
Test, Measure, Iterate
The best copy I’ve ever written started as a mediocre draft. Copy that converts is usually copy that has been tested, analyzed, and improved over months. Set up A/B tests on your highest-traffic pages. Use heatmaps to see where people stop reading. Check your analytics for bounce rates on entry pages. The data will tell you what your gut can’t.
If you’re not testing copy as part of your marketing services, you’re leaving conversions on the table. Full stop.
Want help with your conversion copy? Reach out here and I’ll take a look at what you’ve got.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes copy “convert” vs. just inform?
Converting copy drives a specific action — a click, a form fill, a call. Informational copy builds awareness but doesn’t necessarily push toward a decision. Converting copy uses urgency, specificity, social proof, and clear CTAs to make taking action feel like the obvious next step. The difference is usually in the structure: problem-first framing, benefit-forward language, and a CTA that names what happens next.
How long should my copy be?
Long enough to answer every objection a first-time visitor might have — short enough to not waste their time. For landing pages, 400-800 words is often enough if the offer is clear. For service pages targeting informed buyers, 1,200-2,000 words can out-rank and out-convert shorter pages. Test both and let your data decide. One-size doesn’t fit all.
Should I hire a copywriter or write my own?
If you’re good at writing and you know your customer deeply, start by writing your own — then have a professional edit and sharpen it. If writing drains you or you keep getting blank-page paralysis, hire a copywriter who asks good questions about your customer before touching a keyboard. A copywriter who leads with your product rather than your customer’s problem is not worth the invoice.
What’s the fastest way to improve existing copy?
Rewrite the headline first. Then the CTA. Those two elements drive the most impact for the least effort. After that, look at your first paragraph — if it doesn’t name a problem or create curiosity, rewrite it. Most bad copy is bad in the first 50 words, and those are the only words many visitors ever see.
Do I need different copy for different traffic sources?
Yes, absolutely. Cold traffic from a Facebook ad needs more context and trust-building than warm traffic from a Google search who already knows what they want. PPC landing pages should match the ad copy exactly — this is called message match — and should focus on one offer with one CTA. Organic landing pages can be longer and more educational because intent varies more.
How do I know if my copy is working?
Track conversion rate (form fills, calls, purchases), time on page, and scroll depth. A high bounce rate with low time-on-page usually means your headline didn’t earn the read. A high time-on-page but low conversion means the copy is interesting but not persuasive — your CTA or offer likely needs work. Set benchmarks and measure changes after any copy updates.
