Your website is the front door of your business – it’s where perspective customers get to know you, and where perspective funders get their first impression of your business. Crafting compelling website copy about your products and services, even about your company, is essential for a small and growing company.

So, I’m Not A Writer… 

You don’t have to be! Not everyone is a trained copywriter, but by the simple virtue that you’re a small business owner, you have a built-in story to tell: your own.

This is where knowing your audience from our previous exercise comes in handy. The best, most compelling website copy is genuine. It should reflect a desire to help solve your target persona’s problems, and show a sense of solidarity with the individuals or companies in your market. It should speak in a voice that is honest and respectful. Also, use practical, non-jargon-y language and an informal, inclusive tone.

 The Basics 

There’s no end to the variances and structures to web copy. It depends on the website, the audience, and the medium. A well-written blog on a tech company site is obviously different from the description of what services a spa offers.

But, these forms of writing all have a few basic elements in common. When you’re just starting out with web writing, remember to:

• Start with a compelling headline that speaks to the benefits you offer your customer
• Write in shorter sentences
• Keep your writing active
• Make your customer the center of the writing
• Break up long chunks of text with frequent sub-headlines
• Bullet lists are great! If you need to list out a series of features, do it as a bullet list, not a paragraph
• Double-check your facts, spelling, and any links you’re using
• Close with a call to action: for example, “Order Today” or “Add to Cart”

 The Blank Page 

Any writer will tell you that one of the hardest parts of writing is starting with a blank page. When you’re starting to write copy for your website or blog, here’s a few questions to keep in mind:

• My customers face everyday concerns and problems—which of those am I speaking to?
• Am I explaining this in a way that someone with less hands-on knowledge will understand, but that someone with that knowledge will find interesting?
• For products and services, what is the product (in terms my customer cares about), what does it do, and how will it help them?

And, here’s a few things to avoid:

• Hyperbole
• Superlatives
• Advertising
• Jargon (and avoiding our own internal jargon)
• Condescension

You might be tempted to trumpet every great benefit of your product in the boldest way, but make sure you don’t cross the line into exaggeration. Website copy is held to the same standards of deceptive practices as any advertising — plus, consumers can smell an exaggeration a mile away.

 A Note About SEO 

SEO is short for “search engine optimization.” It’s a type of content writing and marketing discipline that makes websites and pages as ‘findable’ to search engines as possible.

One thing that Google, Bing, and Yahoo look for when it comes to content on a website is “originality.” It can be tempting to fill out your blog by cross-posting content from other sites, but this can actually harm your search ranking. Keep your content original and fresh, make sure the keywords you really want used appear in your titles and subheads, and you’ll start making progress. Remember, you can’t game a search engine, and at this point in building your business, good is better than perfect.

Stay tuned for more marketing advice as the series develops. Is there a specific topic you’d like to see us cover? Let us know in the comments! And if you’re interested in being matched with a marketing advisor that can provide customized guidance to help grow your small business, check out our advising program at businessadvising.pcv.wpengine.com.