The ultimate website copywriting checklist

So, you’re thinking about rewriting your website. Lovely! Step into my office. 

If you feel like your copy has somewhat lagged while you’ve been busy running the show and building a business that’s booming, chances are your visitors think it too. 

But before you dive into Google Docs chaos, endless rewrites, or the temptation of yet another template - pause. 

You do not need 44 tabs open, advice from conflicting sources, and an abused delete key. While you navigate the blank pages that are soon to be filled with your shiny new website copy, what you need is a structured checklist to make sure nothing important gets missed. 

Take it from a professional website copywriter, with more than a handful of websites under her belt and a whole heap of learning on how not to do it. The key to a successful website rewrite is preparation. Think first. Write later. 

Here it is. My Ultimate Website Rewrite Checklist is going to take your website from a hard pass to a hell yes. 

Brand strategy foundations

If your website doesn’t know who it’s for, neither will your visitors. Never be tempted to start anywhere else other than here:

• Mission and vision: Can you clearly state what you stand for, who you serve, and where you’re going?

  
  

• Core values: The principles you want baked into your copy

  
  

• USP: What makes you different (hint: it’s rarely ‘great customer service’).

  
  

• Ideal client profile (ICP): Pains, desires, buying triggers - the juicy detail.

  
  

• Positioning statement: One line that hyper-focuses on who you help, how, and why it matters.

Research & raw materials

Unsurprisingly, copy that converts isn’t pulled from thin air. It’s lifted straight from your clients’ mouths.

• Voice of customer (VoC) research: Phrases, emotions, objections

  
  

• Testimonials: Recent and specific - not ‘Richard was nice to work with.’

  
  

• Case studies: Before, during, after. Show the journey

  
  

• Competitor scan: Not to copy - but to spot gaps you can own.

  
  

• Keyword/search intent research: What your clients actually type into

  Google/ChatGPT when they need you.

  
  

• Analytics data: Bounce rates, hot spots, where people vanish. This is important - don’t skip it.

  
  

• Social media comments & emails: Real-world language gold.

Messaging framework

This is where you translate strategy and research into words that become stickier than a poodle eating honey.

• Promise/transformation: What changes for them after working with you?

  
  

• Core offers: Clear, simple descriptions of what you sell. Absolutely no jargon - I mean it. Check, and then check again.

  
  

• Benefits > features: Always. This does X, which means you get Y.

  
  

• Objection handling: Price, time, scepticism, just go ahead and name it before they do.

  
  

• Storytelling anchors: Your founder’s story, client success, origin spark.

  
  

• Tone of voice (ToV) guide: Confident? Quirky? Authoritative? Pin it down and stick with it

  
  

• Call-to-action hierarchy: Where do you want people to click, and in what order?

Page-level checklist

Each page has its job. This is where a lot of DIY-ers come unstuck. Don’t be tempted to blur them.

Homepage

• Search-friendly H1 that makes a promise.

• Subhead that expands on it.

• One clear CTA above the fold.

• Proof points: stats, testimonials, logos.

• Snapshot of your offers.

• Something human, be it a story, a face, your office dog…

• Reassurance: FAQs, guarantees.

• Final CTA (don’t leave them hanging).

About

• Relatable hook. For the love of Susan, not a CV.

• Your why framed in terms of client benefit.

• Proof of credibility.

• Your values and personality. Just a bit. Remember, it’s not really about you.

• CTA (again, don’t leave them stranded).

Services/sales

• Clear names

• Outcomes and transformations

• Benefits paired with features

• Social proof near the buy button

• Transparent pricing

• CTAs repeated at natural points.

• FAQs to kill hesitations

Contact

• Clear, friendly invite to get in touch.

• Short form (no mother’s maiden name needed).

• Alternative options (email/phone).

• What happens next is clear.

SEO and findability

Beautiful copy that no one finds = pointless.

• Keywords in H1, subheads, and body.

  
  

• Meta titles and descriptions that make people want to click.

  
  

• Alt text on images.

  
  

• Internal links to keep visitors moving.

  
  

• Search intent match: pages written for what people Google! This is SO important in the world of AI search. Spend time here.

Proof and trust builders

Your visitors are asking: Can I trust you? Prove it.

• Testimonials (fresh, rotated).

• Case studies.

• Certifications/memberships/logos.

• Press/media mentions.

• Guarantees/risk reversals.

Website copywriting quality checks

Good design gets attention, but it’s your words that seal the deal. This is where copy either falls flat or comes alive. When you layer these onto your strategy, structure, and SEO foundations, that’s when your website starts doing its job: pulling people in, holding their attention, and nudging them towards action.

• Talk to all buyer types Not everyone makes decisions the same way.

  
  

  • Impulsive buyers: Love bold promises, urgency, and clear CTAs above the fold.

  • Deliberate buyers: Want details, proof, logic 

  • Sceptical buyers: Need reassurance and evidence you’re legit.

    
    

• Transformation > Information Don’t just say what you do. Say what changes. If your website doesn’t show a before/after picture, people will assume there isn’t one.

  
  

  •  12-week coaching programme. Boo

  •  12-week coaching programme to finally launch that business idea that’s been gathering dust. Yay

    
    

• Storytelling anchors - Humans remember stories, so use them

  
  

• Avoid passive sentences Passive = vague, slow, uninspiring. Active voice makes you sound human 

  
  

  • Your request will be processed within 3 days. Boo

  • We’ll sort your request within 3 days. Yay

    
    

• Clarity beats clever If a 12-year-old can’t understand your homepage, it’s too complicated. Hand your draft to someone outside your industry. Can they tell you what you do after one read? 

  
  

• Ban the filler words. They mean nothing and annoy people.

• Scan test Read only the headlines, subheads, and CTAs on your page. Do they tell the story on their own? If not, restructure.

  
  

• Emotional resonance Have you named not just the problem, but how it feels?

User experience and structure

Your website isn’t a novel. People skim. So make it easy. If it’s easy to read, it’s easier to buy.

• Each page tells a story, no dead ends.

• Consistent CTAs

• Short paragraphs, subheads, bullets.

Final polish

The last 5%. Small but mighty.

• Consistent voice across all pages.

• Smooth flow when read aloud.

• No clunky sentences.

• Analytics tracking switched on.

Phew, you ready?

Rewriting your website isn’t about sprinkling in some ‘better words’. It’s about strategy, proof, flow, and clarity.

Use this checklist as your map, and you won’t just have a prettier website, you’ll have one that sells, connects, and positions you as the go-to in your industry. 

And if you’d rather not do it alone? Well, that’s what I’m here for.