Writing copy for your site is a learned skill that improves with practice. If you’ve done any creative writing, in particular in high school, you’ll likely have learned a number of tricks to keep the attention of your reader. Skills like how to vary your word choice and how to paint a picture for the reader with varied descriptions can be useful in creating interesting writing but can be detrimental to direct writing of copy.
When you’re writing copy for your site, you’ll need to throw nearly all of that out the window to create stronger copy that your prospects will actually read. Let’s jump in with a few quick tips on how to create copy that works to market (and sell!) your business.
To set the foundation for our copy discussion, let’s look at the primary purpose of your site:
- Show your prospects what you do
- Show your prospects that you understand them and their needs
- Show your prospects that you’re an expert at what you do
So, if your site’s goals include all of the above, there are a few ways to set your copy up for success. Let’s break down each goal with how to accomplish it.
Show Your Prospects What You Do
If you’re not a well-known person in your industry, you’ll likely need to have some copy on your site to show any site visitor what you do and who you help. You can have lovely photos and images on your site, but without a word or two to talk about the specifics of what you do, the details can be lost in translation.
I won’t disagree with the idiom “a picture is worth a thousand words”: I’ve worked in photography so truly agree. However, to introduce yourself to your site visitors, you’ll still need a few words to show the specifics of what you do so they’ll clearly understand what services you offer.
Show That You Understand Them and Their Needs
It may seem intuitive that your site should be all about you since it is the website for your business. Here’s the thing about changing up what you do so it “clicks” with your prospects: yes, they want to get to know you, but they want to know that you’ll understand them well, so they get the results they need from working with you.
Use the Same Words
If you’re using the word “person” to talk about the individuals you work with, use that same word throughout your copy on your site. If you were to vary the noun used in this context, it could become confusing to see which person you help in which situations. If you’re calling them “clients” in one paragraph, then “people” in the next, and getting more specific with “women” in the third, it can seem unclear whether all of your clients are women or if you work with some people who are not your clients.
Go Simple and Direct
Your site can be a flashy, well-put-together machine but if it only talks about you, then your prospects may feel that they won’t get your attention while working with them. Instead, keep the focus of your site on appealing to your deep understanding of them with simple, direct language that they’d use in everyday life.
Show That You’re an Expert at What You Do
The above being said you would need to show that you’re an expert at what you do. So how to balance keeping the copy focused on your prospects and showing that you’re an expert at what you do?
Show them the results you’ve gotten for others by:
- Including testimonials
- Using anecdotes from your work (with client permission, of course!)
- Include the details of struggles that you often see with clients and the results you can get for them
Once you’ve mastered how to create copy that balances appealing to your prospects and showing what you do, you’ll find your copy is part of your sales process rather than a filler on your site.
I’d love to hear how this helps you write the copy for your website! Connect with me on Instagram.
Looking for more ways to stand out in a crowded market? Start with this post on how to show your personality on your site.
