How to Use ChatGPT As a Copywriting Tool to Reach the Right Audience

Building your website yourself? In the old days, you would have to develop your own attention-grabbing, targeted copy that would pull your audience in. That's hard — there are people out there who make a living doing this. But they can be expensive. And the dangers of writing your own copy can include bogging down your reader, grammatical errors, and confusion. It's very difficult for a small business owner to distill down their message and avoid over-explaining. An assistant, even if it's AI, is better able to step back to extract that "aha message" that will resonate better, explain more succinctly, and sound like you, all at once.

Good website copy isn't an afterthought. It's essential. Readers need to make sense of it; it has to convey your message succinctly (website visitors have a very short attention span), it should be punchy, on brand, SEO friendly, and speak to the audience you’re targeting. Peak has spent hours upon hours helping our clients dial in their website copy. And one tool in particular has proven to be an absolute game changer.

ChatGPT, an AI tool, is a means to an end with copywriting. It's a tool and should be used as such when you've hit a wall with your copy. Send it some ideas, a draft event, and it will help polish and perfect for your writing. And, used correctly, it can even polish up your tone and voice so that you’re connecting with the audience you’re targeting by speaking their language.

Now, this isn't a story about letting AI take over the creative process; it's about using it intentionally — as a brainstorm buddy, a first-draft or final-draft generator, a headline whisperer, and a tool to keep momentum going when the mental gears got stuck.

Here's how to use ChatGPT to write copy for an entire website.

Step 1. Feed the Bot

Before you even start asking ChatGPT for copy, feed it what you already have: website copy, social media captions, messaging docs, proposals — anything that describes your business already. This will give AI a jumping off point as it will use that information to get to know your business better, how you currently convey your message, and what can be improved.

Step 2. Structure: Identify What the Site Needs to Convey

Before you write a single word, you need to identify the website's structure. You'll have the basics — homepage, service pages, maybe an FAQ — but you don't want to just fill space. 

You want to say the right things to the right people. That means getting clear on who your audience is (hi, small business owners, overwhelmed nonprofit teams, startup founders, whoever your target client is) and what they actually need from you.

Prompt ChatGPT to help you brainstorm where each item should go. You can use inputs like:

• "Help me outline a service page for my website design agency. I want it to speak to small business owners who have used Squarespace but are ready for something better."
• "Help me plan out the pages for a yoga studio website. I want to highlight our class schedule, introduce our instructors, and make it easy for people to sign up for memberships or drop-in sessions."
• "Help me structure a website for a small-batch hot sauce brand. I want it to tell the story behind the product, showcase our ingredients, and drive online sales through a simple shop layout." 

This will help you map out each page with just enough detail to move forward. That early clarity keeps the process flowing.

Step 2. Building Copy: Turn Rough Ideas into Polished Messaging

Now that you have some structure, it's time to begin the writing process. Take a conversational approach with ChatGPT. Throw it a draft or a messy idea (bullet points even!) and ask for options. Then, refine, tweak the tone, and restructure until it feels and sounds like you.

Start with the homepage and your value proposition, call-to-action (CTA) buttons, and hero headlines. Then, move on to deeper pages like service descriptions, audience-specific pages, FAQs, and about pages. You can even ask ChatGPT to clean up repetitive language and create alternatives for different CTA styles.

Some examples:

• "Give me 5 options for a homepage headline that speaks to small business owners who are frustrated with their current website."
• "Give me 5 headline options for a homepage that speaks to homeowners looking to transform their outdoor space with professional landscaping."
• "Give me 5 options for a homepage headline that connects with busy parents who want a fun, effective workout in under an hour."

Step 3. Dial in Your Tone: Make the Copy Sound Like You / Your Brand

Tone is one of the trickiest parts of writing website copy. You want to sound human, confident, and professional without slipping into buzzword soup or corporate robot voice. ChatGPT also pumps out the same tired phrases and, at times, over-the-top descriptions. You'll need to dial this down. 

Explain your brand personality to ChatGPT: friendly but direct, helpful but not try-hard. Ask it to avoid jargon and flowery adjectives and keep things grounded.

When something feels close but not quite there, try asking:

• "Rewrite this header to sound more grounded and human — my audience is nonprofit leaders, not marketers."
• "Rewrite this paragraph to sound more down-to-earth and supportive — my audience is women navigating burnout, not corporate executives."
• "Make this product description sound warmer and more conversational — I want it to feel like a friend is recommending it, not like a catalog listing."

Step 4. Use AI to Speed Up the Process, Not Replace It

The real magic isn't in letting ChatGPT write everything. It's in using it to keep things moving. Nothing is more daunting than a blank page and blinking cursor. Prompt the tool, see what comes back, and either run with it or go back and forth until it feels right. It's a way to keep momentum, especially when decision fatigue kicks in. You'll make every final decision, but you won't waste time getting stuck. ChatGPT keeps the gears turning.

Lessons Learned From Writing a Site With ChatGPT

What actually works? Brainstorming headlines, CTAs, and FAQ answers; keeping voice and messaging consistent across pages; and getting to a polished draft way faster than starting from scratch.

What still needs your personal touch: injecting real client stories and examples; calibrating tone for more emotional or high-stakes sections; writing about your process in a way that feels authentic. 

Writing your own website is hard. But you don't have to do it alone or stare at a blank page for days. Using ChatGPT can feel less like outsourcing and more like collaborating. It'll help you brainstorm, refine, and move forward fast. You'll still add your own voice, your own stories, and your own strategy. But with AI as a tool, not a crutch, you'll get to a better site in less time.

Are you thinking about using ChatGPT for your own site? We've been through it and know how to maximize its benefits. Reach out; we'd be happy to share what worked and help you get started. Book a call now.