Hiring a professional copywriter can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per page, which is out of reach for a lot of small businesses and solo founders launching a new site. The good news is that you don’t need a copywriting background to write copy that clearly explains what you do and gets visitors to take action — you need a repeatable process.
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This guide walks through the exact steps: picking a proven copy framework, drafting page by page, using free tools to tighten your writing, and knowing when AI writing assistants can speed things up without making your site sound generic.
Quick Answer
You can write solid website copy yourself by following a simple structure (like Problem-Agitate-Solution or Attention-Interest-Desire-Action), writing for one specific visitor instead of everyone, keeping sentences short and plain, and editing with free tools like Hemingway Editor and Grammarly before publishing. Use an AI assistant like Claude or ChatGPT to get past the blank page, then rewrite the output in your own voice — don’t publish it as-is.
Start With a Framework Instead of a Blank Page
Most people freeze up trying to write a homepage because they’re trying to say everything at once. A framework forces you to write in order, one job at a time. Two of the most reliable for web pages are PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solution) and AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action).
PAS works well for service pages and pages aimed at visitors who already know they have a problem: name the problem in one line, describe the cost of not solving it, then present your product or service as the fix. AIDA works better for homepages and landing pages where you need to earn attention first: open with a headline that names the outcome you deliver, build interest with a short explanation of how, create desire with proof (testimonials, results, specifics), then close with one clear call to action.
Pick one framework per page and stick to it. Trying to blend frameworks is usually what makes copy feel scattered.
Write for One Person, Not ‘Everyone’
Before you write a word, answer this: who is the one visitor this page needs to convince, and what are they worried about right before they land on your site? Vague copy (‘We help businesses grow’) reads that way because it’s trying to speak to everyone at once. Specific copy (‘We handle bookkeeping for contractors so you stop guessing at tax time’) reads better because it’s aimed at one person’s actual situation.
A useful trick: write the first draft as if you’re answering a question a real customer asked you last week. It naturally produces plainer, more direct language than trying to ‘sound professional.’
Keep sentences short and use everyday words. Direct-response copywriters generally aim for a plain, easy-to-scan reading level — not because visitors are unsophisticated, but because simple language is faster to read on a screen and easier to act on. Cut jargon, cut qualifiers (‘very’, ‘really’, ‘in order to’), and read every sentence out loud — if you stumble, rewrite it.
Every page also needs exactly one primary call to action. If a visitor finishes the page unsure what to click next, the copy has failed regardless of how well-written the sentences are.
Use AI to Draft, Then Use Your Own Voice to Edit
AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT are genuinely useful for getting past a blank page — feed one your framework choice (PAS or AIDA), your one-sentence description of the ideal visitor, and a few bullet points about what makes your business different, and ask for a first draft. Treat that output as raw material, not a finished page.
The reason not to publish AI output directly: it tends toward generic phrasing and repeated sentence patterns that make multiple businesses’ sites sound interchangeable. Rewrite it in your own words, add real specifics (an actual number, a real client scenario, a detail only your business would say), and cut anything that could apply to a competitor’s site unchanged.
Once you have a draft, run it through Hemingway Editor to flag overly complex sentences and passive voice, and through Grammarly for a final grammar and typo pass. Neither tool writes the copy for you, but both catch the small issues that make copy feel unpolished.
Tips and Common Mistakes
Leading with your company instead of the visitor’s problem is the most common mistake — ‘Founded in 2015, we are a full-service agency…’ answers a question nobody asked. Lead with what’s in it for the reader.
Burying the call to action is another frequent issue. Every page should make it obvious, above the fold if possible, what you want the visitor to do next — contact you, book a call, buy, sign up.
Don’t try to write every page in one sitting. Draft the homepage, put it away for a day, come back and read it cold — you’ll immediately spot the sentences that don’t make sense to someone without your background.
Finally, get one outside read before publishing. Ask someone unfamiliar with your business to read the page and tell you, in their own words, what you do and what they’d click next. If they get it wrong, the copy needs another pass, not the reader.
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DIY website copywriting FAQs
Do I need to be a good writer to write my own website copy?
No. Clear, simple writing that follows a structure (like PAS or AIDA) usually outperforms flashy writing. Focus on being specific and easy to read rather than clever.
Is it okay to use ChatGPT or Claude to write my whole website?
You can use them to generate a first draft quickly, but rewrite the output in your own words and add real specifics about your business. Unedited AI copy tends to sound generic and interchangeable with competitors.
How long should my homepage copy be?
Long enough to answer the visitor’s key questions (what you do, who it’s for, why you’re different, what to do next) and no longer. For most small-business sites that’s a few short sections rather than long blocks of text.
What’s the difference between PAS and AIDA?
PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solution) works well when the visitor already knows their problem, making it a good fit for service pages. AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) works well when you need to earn attention first, making it a good fit for homepages and landing pages.
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Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash.