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Web copywriting: how I solved a minor content mystery 21 March 2025

This is the story of a website copywriting mystery I helped to solve for a new client. It’s a tale of a minor enigma that was bothering a small company keen to launch its new website. The site was all done and poised for launch. It looked great. It worked beautifully. But there was problem…

Something was missing from the content. However good the web pages looked, the messaging just didn’t feel right.

The missing piece

“It doesn’t sound like us,” the clients said to me. Only, they couldn’t work out why. That’s where I came in. As soon as I reviewed the draft website content, I could see the problem. The writing was good: it was catchy, it was punchy. But there was indeed something missing. And that missing piece was the company itself.

The reason? The copywriting wasn’t specific enough. It made bold claims in well-phrased language but didn’t connect those claims with what the company actually did. As well as that, the content was generalist when it needed to be specialist.

Make the right connection

The messaging just wasn’t making a connection between the broader story it was telling and the unique experience and skills of my client. No wonder they had felt like something important was missing.

The biggest issue for me was that the current content could have applied to anyone in that client’s industry. It was generic where it needed to be particular. Whether you’re talking brand copywriting, web copywriting or something else, content is better when it is specific, never losing sight of the organisation it’s for.

Try this test

The big test is: if you removed the name of the business you’re writing about, could the content apply to any other company in its industry? If not, there’s a vital stage missing.

So, having solved the mystery, I rewrote the content, editing it in a way that not only reflected the business but connected more with customers. While this copywriting mystery might seem minor in the scheme of things, it was pretty major for the business involved. Because once it was solved, they finally felt that their website truly spoke for them and the value of their services.

Don’t be a mystery to your customers

When you’re developing your copywriting strategy – whether that’s for a brand new site or simply a service page rewrite – make sure your web content isn’t missing something fundamental: you.