4 Easy Steps to Write Your Small Business Website Copy

When designing a website, I’ve found that my clients often think about design or how they want it to work… what domain name they want to buy… But, they often skip a crucial step: website copy. Quality copy is essential to the success of your business website—and it’s not a step to skip— as it conveys your brand and attracts the right audience. The text on your website (especially headlines) are also what Google reads when indexing your site for search results! Without strong, strategic copy and keywords – even the most beautiful website can get missed by potential paying clients.

If writing your website copy sounds overwhelming — I get it. Here are some quick tips to make sure your words connect with the people you want to reach. If you get stuck, I am always here to help review and refine with you!

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Step 1: List Out Your Website Pages

Before writing anything else, create a list of every page your website will include. If you need help, search for websites in your industry and see what they have in their navigation. Or check out some of the sites in my Squarespace portfolio. Common examples:

• Homepage (duh)

• About

• Services / Offerings

• Blog / Resources

• Contact

(Add any and all other pages that apply to your business, like FAQs, Testimonials, Portfolio etc.)

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Step 2: Brand Voice / Know Your Audience

When writing your copy, speak directly to your audience. Use the following prompts to define your target audience and their needs. Then, use those answers to inform the next steps of copywriting process.

• Who is your ideal client or audience? _________________________________

• What problem does your audience have? _________________________________

• How does that problem make them feel? _________________________________

• What do you offer to solve that problem? _________________________________

Important: Choose if you are going to write in first or third person on your website, and keep it consistent!

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Step 3: Craft Clear Headlines

Don’t forget your headlines! Not only do humans read them, but so does Google! Pages should have headings and subheadings, and every section of copy should have a headline to guide the reader. (Imagine reading a huge block of text - how will anyone know where to look or click? Oof!)

Good headlines use keywords and convey more than just a generic page title. Examples:

Services page:

• Bad headline: ”Services”

Why is it bad? It’s too broad. When your audience (or google) reads this headline, it could be ANY kind of service! Accounting Services? Personal training? Cooking lessons? Who knows what you do! Make your headline specific to your business and audience. 

• Better headline: ”Squarespace Website Services for Portland-Based Small Businesses”

Get it? Here’s another example.

About page

• Bad headline: “About Me”

• Better headline: “Meet Rachel — Squarespace Designer Helping Small Businesses Shine Online”

Headlines like this not only tell your audience what to expect to read on this page — but they also convey (brand) personality and greatly help with SEO. If you need help with this, I am happy to consult with you on small business strategy on Zoom. No contract needed.

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Step 4: Create the Words for Each Page

Go through this step for each page that you listed out in step 1.

• What’s the main headline for the page? ___(enter here what you wrote above)____

• Break your page into a few sections. What should the subheadings be for each section?

  • Subhead 1 (i.e. Meet your designer)_________________________________

  • Subhead 2 _________________________________

  • Subhead 3_________________________________
    

Add your content (a paragraph or more) under each Subheading and add at least one “call to action” for every page. (A call to action is a link or button that you want this person to take upon visiting this page i.e. “Book a consult call” - with a link to your contact page.)

Repeat step 4 for each page you’ve listed out in step 1.

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Now take a breath!

Re-read through it all. Refine! Tweak. Life is easier now.

An important reminder: We are creating a website that meets you where your business is right now and in the near future (we need reachable goals!). Your website will grow and change as your business does the same. At that time, you’ll add new pages, edit current ones, and change things up! 

Think of your website like a home. What works for you in your early twenties will likely not be what you need in your forties when perhaps you’ll have a partner, pets, children, or a full art studio in your home! (We can dream, right?) Don’t start with that mega house — build towards it. Start where you are at - and let your website (and website design and copy) grow and change WITH you and your business!