“I just don’t have time to write website copy.” Sound familiar? Yeah, we thought so. 

Most business owners out there already wear one too many hats – managing staff, handling finances, dealing with suppliers, and putting out daily fires. And, while being hands-on keeps you connected to your business, it also means that crucial tasks like website copy often fall to the bottom of your to-do list. 

After all, your time is better spent running your business – and serving your customers – than agonizing over CTA buttons and SEO keywords.

Enter ChatGPT. A powerful tool that can help you draft compelling copy in minutes, adapt to your brand voice, and generate fresh ideas when you’re stuck. 

The key, however, is knowing exactly how to “talk” to ChatGPT to get the results you want. From writing the perfect homepage headline to putting together service descriptions that sell, every prompt matters. And that’s where things can get a little complicated.

Luckily, we’ve done part of the hard work for you. Let’s take a closer look at how ChatGPT – and other AI tools – can help revolutionize your website copywriting for better engagement and higher conversion rates.

The importance of strong website copy for small businesses

Your website is typically the first thing your customers – and potential customers – see when they look for your business. It’s your digital storefront, brand ambassador, and 24/7 salesperson working to turn casual browsers into loyal customers.

And when your website copy aligns well with your visitors’ needs and expectations, they’re more likely to become customers.

Here’s what can help make the difference between bouncing visitors and converting sales:

• Clear, benefit-focused headlines that grab attention
• Service descriptions that address customer pain points
• Social proof woven naturally into your copy
• Local references that connect with your community
• Calls-to-action that actually drive responses

The best part? AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude can support you while writing powerful website copy – and multiple versions of it, as well – that can ultimately boost engagement and drive conversions.

7 essential ChatGPT prompts for website copy

Enough about theory – let’s dive right into these prompts. 

From your “Homepage” to your “Services and Products” pages, writing a good ChatGPT prompt is about clarity, specificity, and understanding your brand voice.

That said, it can be a little difficult to learn how to work with ChatGPT without losing your patience and getting frustrated with vague outputs. That’s why, hopefully, these prompts will make the entire experience a whole lot easier:

1. Homepage prompt:

Act as an expert copywriter. Write homepage copy for [your business type] that serves [location]. 

Include:
– A headline highlighting our unique value: [what makes you different]
– 3 key benefits for customers
– A local angle mentioning [your city/area]
– A clear call to action

Tone: [conversational/professional/friendly]

Target audience: [describe your ideal customer]

2. Services/Products prompt:

Write service descriptions for [your business].

For each service include:
– A benefit-focused headline
– 3 bullet points highlighting customer outcomes
– Pricing justification showing value
– Common customer problems this service solves

Include natural transitions between services. Keep tone [your preferred tone].

3. “About Us” prompt:

Create an authentic About Us page for [your business]. 

Include:
– Origin story: [key details about how/why you started]
– Our mission: [what drives your business]
– Our approach: [how you’re different]

– Team culture: [describe your values]

Focus on building trust and showing personality. Avoid corporate jargon.

More tips for writing better prompts

While these prompts might get you started, it’s always important to add specific examples of successful projects, real customer stories, and even competitor differentiators to help guide the platform. Including these might result in a better, more tailored direction that doesn’t just spew generic marketing fluff.

This can look a little something like…

• Including actual customer feedback for authenticity: “‘Add this specific review: ‘Sarah’s team transformed our outdated website into a lead-generating machine. The process was seamless, and our conversion rate has doubled.’”
• Mentioning real local landmarks or community involvement: “We’re located near Pike Place Market and support the downtown food bank’s annual fundraiser…”
• Specifying your price range to target the right customers: “Our services typically range from $2,000-5,000, targeting small businesses ready to scale…”

Need help making sure your website doesn’t sound like it was written by a robot? Our Website Copy & Brand Message Audit is designed to help you get to the bottom of what’s working with your website – and what’s missing the mark. From headings to buttons and everything in between, we’ll analyze 6 pages of brand message, website copy, and marketing funnels, and provide a full breakdown of what you can do to improve.

How to make your website copy sound natural

Let’s be honest: Nobody wants AI-generated content that sounds like a robot wrote it. That said, the key to using ChatGPT prompts for website copy is making them sound authentically you. 

Here are a few ways to do that:

1. Define your brand voice first

Before writing any prompts, it’s important to get clear on your brand voice, personality traits, and key differentiators. 

If you’re not too sure about how to pin down your voice, you can use ChatGPT to help you out with a fun exercise.

A) To start…

• Write down 3 words that describe your brand’s personality
• List 2-3 competitors and how you sound different
• Pick a celebrity who matches your brand’s vibe

B) From there…

Open up the AI writing tool of your choice and input the following prompt: “Act as a copywriter who writes in a style similar to [celebrity]. The brand personality is [your 3 words]. Write copy that stands out from [competitor approaches].”

This is a fun way to clarify – both for you and the platform – what you’re hoping to actually sound like.

2. Match your industry’s expectations

When using ChatGPT to write website copy, it’s important that you keep in mind your industry standards and customer expectations. Especially in cases where trust and credibility are on the line.

If you’re a business that deals with sensitive matters like legal services, financial planning, and healthcare, here’s a good prompt you can use when dictating your brand voice: “Write with authority but warmth. Balance expertise with approachability. Target audience values trust and reliability, but doesn’t want corporate jargon.”

Alternatively, if you’re in a creative industry that thrives on personality and unique expression, a good prompt to help ChatGPT understand your vibe is: “Write with personality and energy. Show capability without stiffness. Include conversational elements that highlight our creative approach.”

3. Don’t copy-paste, tweak

While ChatGPT can generate solid first drafts, it’s important to remember that, in most cases, ChatGPT prompts for website copy are just starting points – not a finished product.

Make sure you tweak them and play around with the copy based on your business needs and customer feedback – as well as what you already know works in your market. 

For example: 
A) Before (AI-Generic): “We provide high-quality solutions to meet all your business needs with our expert team of professionals.”

B) After edits and tweaks: “Here in Austin, we’re the go-to web design team for food trucks and local restaurants. Why? Because we speak BBQ as fluently as we speak HTML.”

You can even test different versions to see what resonates best with your audience, and then continue to build upon your copy from there!

Working with ChatGPT to write better website copy

When you’re running a small business, your website needs to work just as hard as you do in order to attract leads and convert sales. 

Thankfully, AI platforms like ChatGPT can help lighten the workload and support you in terms of creativity, first drafts, and content optimization when it comes to writing your website copy.

However, this doesn’t just mean that you should throw in a few quick prompts, let ChatGPT do the writing for you, and then copy-paste directly into your website. 

Do that, and your site might start to sound a lot more like every other business out there… and a lot less like the unique brand you’ve spent so much time and effort building up.

Instead, when working with ChatGPT prompts for website copy, you’re always going to want to:

• Start with clear brand guidelines and voice
• Test different prompts to find what works best
• Edit and customize the AI-generated content
• Keep your customer’s perspective in mind
• Track how visitors respond to new copy
• Regularly update and refine your approach

And always remember: AI is your assistant – not your replacement. After all, you know your business better than any language model or so-called robot out there ever could!