What makes an amazing website? Lots of things, like site design, technical nuts and bolts, imagery, oh, and the copy.
If you’re an e-commerce or a lifestyle brand, the words on the page need to work extra hard. Not that I’m advocating putting down any old stuff if you don’t call yourself a lifestyle brand. But if you are, the copy is one of the most important elements in selling your concept and creating a wholly integrated look and feel that customers can’t resist.
To get it right, you need to start with the basics, which is getting the right people on the job, and having a clear idea of what you want to achieve.
What is a lifestyle copywriter?
When I say right people, I mean people who have a natural flair or the experience of writing in this space.
You’ll almost certainly find that competition is fierce too. Take something like fashion, beauty or motors for instance. A lifestyle copywriter will be able to advise you on what your competitors are doing and how you can differentiate your messaging and tone at the minimum.
If they are trained in SEO copywriting, they can also advise on keywords to help you inch even further up the rankings and grab people’s attention faster.
So, where do you begin? Cue a round of lifestyle website copywriting inspo.
First, the navigation is dreamy. You can shop for the products you need fast, in a way that makes sense. These are the elements your lifestyle copywriter should be able to chip in on with advice too.
Dive deeper into the website and you’ll find collapsible category pages with structured, problem-solving copy and expertly organised product copy that gives you everything you need. Incidentally, they reign supreme in beauty keyword stakes too. Everyone can learn from Paula’s Choice.
If you don’t want to be a Panagia person after scrolling through their website, I’m lost. The homepage copy is consistently inspirational and fresh. They work in extra copy to help their SEO without cluttering, and their product descriptions are snappy, tightly written and on-brand.
Yes, we know they’re sustainable, innovative and planet-friendly. And we know this in the time it takes to click your fingers. Which admittedly, is hard if you’re also using them to control the mouse and shop their store.
Ever read the most boring copy imaginable on things like nutrition and wellness websites? Me too. That’s why I love this website so much. It’s a little wordy in places and relies on you to do some thought-processing, but if you’re on the search for the answers to the riddle of better health, chances are you’re up for some light reading.
My favourite bit by far is the product descriptions themselves. Combining structured content around why it works and other killer questions, and iconography along with copy snippets, it stays 100% benefit-focused in a consumer-friendly, totally non-tedious way.
The homepage copy tends to stay light but navigate into the products and you’ll find first-in-class examples of product description copy. These things are always about the structure, and Burt’s Bees set theirs out perfectly.
A little short description is followed by collapsible sections on need-to-know points, such as what the product does, its ingredients, how to use and delivery and returns. You’re left with no excuses not to *add to basket*.
If you’ve used the Nike Run Club app, you’ll know just how persuasive they are on the guided runs. This positive vibe is carried through onto their website. Nike is a brand known for its copywriting, perhaps more in the advertising space, but their website copywriting isn’t to be overlooked either.
The Nike Run Club website follows suit and complements the app perfectly. Even better, it keeps the copy light, benefit focussed, aspirational and yet completely welcoming. Anyone would feel part of the gang on there, and that’s the whole point.
As far as arty, yet completely accessible copy goes, House of Hackney is the absolute bomb. There’s something about the combined imagery and playful copywriting that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a wonderland with the first look.
This structured content with a carefully curated tone runs from the homepage right through to the individual product descriptions. These include a template with design notes, product details, care tips and returns as standard. It’s a no I wasn’t in the market, but a yes, I will now spend £165 on a cushion, situation.
Showing us that you don’t have to be expensive to sell your products elegantly, Primark’s website copywriting hits all the right notes. Simplistic and spurring us into action, their homepage copy teases us into the collections with a little humour.
They create content pages with fashion tips which are a perfect excuse to get keyword happy and keep it slick. Hop onto the category pages and products and you’ll find the same focussed copy with the right internal links and all the info you need at a glance.
You’d expect something like Land Rover to have a website that exceeds your expectations, and it does. The tone is aspirational, appealing to a more highbrow motoring audience that knows their stuff, and those who just love the look and feel of the brand without being too bothered about the intricacies of the model.
Ultimately, it sells a lifestyle with just a few sections of website copy, and really, that’s all we want when we first visit a site. From there, you’re hooked and ready to explore.
Hats off to anyone trying to sell gin at the moment. I don’t even need to run a keyword report to know that it’s going to be heartily competitive. That’s why you need to spend extra time giving yours a unique personality.
The Botanist Gin has the imagery and copy to do that from the homepage onwards. You instantly understand the lifestyle behind the gin, its legacy, and its values. All in all, it presents an argument that’s hard to ignore. If you ever need an argument to try a new gin that is.
What’s not to love about Mr Porter's website copywriting? It's solid and it works hard. From the neat way of adding a clickthrough to their latest journal article on the homepage to the formatted category page copy.
Some of the best examples are found in the product descriptions though. Sectioned into editor’s notes and size and fit with detailed bullet points, it’s a no-nonsense way of taking you through their products in a flash.