The headlines of your website really are going to make or break your entire website.
And as a website copywriter, I’ve seen A LOT of headlines.
Some great.
Some ok.
Some… are struggling.
The good news? Fixing your headlines isn’t that hard, and there’s no such thing as a “perfect” headline, so any improvement is going to benefit your website.
No judgment, but these headline mistakes are COMMON. You’re definitely not alone if some of these are currently on your website.
Here are the most common headline mistakes I see on websites.
Writing your headline like an outline
Welcome to [Site Name]
About Us
My Story
Our Services
The [Brand Name] Difference
Chances are, you’ve seen these headlines on the majority of websites you’ve visited.
They are everywhereeeee. And if you’re trying to stand out, grab attention, and keep it? NONE of these headlines are the way to go, based on how common they are alone.
However, them being really common isn’t even the biggest issue here: it’s the fact that they’re written like an outline of a website instead of a finished website.
Think about it: if you’re setting out to write your websites, you’re probably going to outline the different sections on each page.
One section to welcome people to your brand. (Welcome to [Site Name])
One section to share about yourself. (About Us)
One section to explain why they should choose you. (The [Brand Name] Difference)
See? It’s an outline. Not a finished idea.
However, outlines are not compelling. They are, by definition, unfinished ideas.
Instead of falling into this common trap, try writing the finished idea as your headline instead of just this bullet point.
Not using italics, underlines, bolded text, or any punctuation
One thing you might notice about headlines written by a professional copywriter is that they might be a bit longer than most headlines.
(Because, there’s no way you’re paying good money for a profesh copywriter only to get About Us as the headline for your about page, ya know?)
But when you have a longer headline, you should try to break it up a bit so that it’s a bit easier to read.
In general, people are intimidated by long blocks of texts.
Tell me you don’t get anxiety reading a long paragraph in a textbook or monstrous text from a friend? The same thing applies here.
Adding other characters or punctuation is an easy way to give the eye something else to latch onto, making it more likely that they’ll read your entire header and comprehend what you’re saying too.
Let’s see this in action:
Before (not bad, but kinda a lot): “Hi, I’m Kim and I help busy moms create organized homes without spending hours cleaning every single day because I know how overwhelming it can feel when your house is a mess, but you barely have time to breathe, let alone deep clean”
After (much easier to scan): “Hi! I’m Kim, and I help busy moms create organized homes without spending hours cleaning every single day — because I know how overwhelming it can feel when your house is a mess, but you barely have time to breathe (let alone deep clean).”
The meaning stays the same, but one is much friendlier to the eyes.
Not being clear about what you actually do
Did you know that people form an opinion on your brand within 11 seconds of landing on your website?
Especially for headers that are near the top of the page, you need to be extra clear on what exactly people are here for.
This might sound like an obvious thing, but you’d be surprised how many people miss the clarity on their offers within their headers.
(Yet another reason why those generic headlines we discussed in the first point are an absolute no-go. They tell the reader nothing about what you actually offer.)
If you’re wondering if your headlines are clear enough, take a look and ask yourself “would someone with no context on my brand be able to tell what I do within a couple seconds of landing here?”
If the answer is no, you’ve got to change some headers to be extra clear.
(This will help boost your SEO too. Double win.)
Asking a generic questions
Asking questions to your readers? Good.
Asking generic, boring questions? Ew. Stop that.
I’m talking about questions that read like they could be on anyone’s website.
“Does this sound like you?”
“What if I told you there was a better way?”
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Ready to [insert your call to action here]?”
(Don’t get me started on all the “ready to” lines of copy I’ve seen…)
When you use questions like these as your headers, they could literally be from anyone’s website.
Plus? They’re not really that intriguing. No one actually thinks you’re spilling a secret with them (we’re on the public internet, for crying out loud.) No one is moved to read on if this actually sounds like them.
Instead, ask questions that are specific to what they’re going through.
A sleep coach might ask: “Hey mama, you sick of seeing 4am yet?”
A web designer might ask: “How’d you like to know your website was funneling people towards your inquiry form while you sit on a patio sipping a margarita?”
A bookkeeper might ask: “You’ve probably spent too much time stressing over (or completely avoiding) your bookkeeping this year, right?”
The goal is to make them go, “OMG, that’s so me” before their brain can even ask them whether they want to keep reading or not.
Generic questions get generic answers. Specific questions get people thinking you’re a mind reader and running to your inquiry form.
Not writing for your skimmers
I’ve touched on this a bit throughout this post, but you should do a once-over of each page of your website to make sure it’s written for skimmers.
Yes, it’s true that most people skim your website when they first visit. Then, interested parties will read your copy more in depth if they like what they see.
But to capture them in the first place, you need to make sure your headers make sense for people who are only skimming your website for the first time.
They should get a clear idea of what you do, what your value is, and how they can get started from only reading your headers.
If your headers aren’t giving that, they’re too generic and can be zhuzhed up a bit.
I could go on and on, but read this post about the biggest general copywriting mistakes I see if you’re hungry for more.
Yeah, headlines really can make or break your copy. So let’s make sure yours are ready to convert.
The best headlines are not created from a formula. Writing a strong headline is both an art and a science. It takes knowledge of what both the art and science of copywriting to make sure your headlines are doing their job.
Sounds like a tall order, I know, luckily, I can help you make sure every word on your website is polished to perfectly fit your brand and guide people towards your inquiry form.
Here’s how I can help you:
Have me audit your copy: Want me to audit your website so you know what changes to make asap? Book a Website Roast with me, and I’ll (lovingly) roast your copy so it’s primed for conversions.
View my copywriting packages: I can write your whole website, or just edit a couple of your existing pages. Either way, check out which of my Copywriting Packages is right for you.
Sure you’re ready to work together? Inquire with me here to get started on your project.
