If you are the company owner you’re probably the worst person to write your website copy – you simply know too much!

Most of us are so passionate about what we do (or why are you doing it?) that we want to tell our readers EVERYTHING. The trouble is that they simply don’t want to know.

When people arrive on your website they are there for a reason – they’re either looking for information or trying to find a specific product or service and probably comparing offerings. All they are interested in is:

That means that every word on your site needs to address those two questions.

Here are 7 key things to avoid:

1. Don’t start with ‘Welcome’ or the page name – start with a big bold headline that tells them the site is will address their needs.

2. Don’t use the home page to tell them how wonderful you are, how long you’ve been in business and all your qualifications and experience. The home page should be about your visitor and what they’re looking for.

3. Don’t assume that they’ll arrive on your home page – every page should stand alone; strong headline; content that supports that and outlines clearly what it’s about.

4. Don’t imagine that people will rush to your testimonials page and read them all avidly. Scatter your testimonials throughout the site on relevant pages.

5. Don’t put too much information on the pages – people don’t read it anyway; they just scan for key bits of information. Put key words in bold (but not too many); use bullet lists (no more than 5 to a list); keep paragraphs short and the page should not be more than 2 screens to scroll down. Aim for 200-250 words max.

6. Don’t forget to put page titles that go in the blue bar at the top – or get your web designer to do it; it helps people to know what the page is about – especially the bots!

7. Don’t write a dry fact based About page – give it some energy! Quotes from the founder, MD, CEO, Owner, that bring their passion, beliefs and values to life – you might find that real people are the deciding factor in whether someone ‘buys’ your organisation or a competitors!

Over to you!
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I make no apologies for revisiting this subject – it’s important!

I keep visiting websites that start their home page with ‘We are … a family company/expert carpet fitters/a long established company/dedicated to our customers/etc. etc. What’s wrong with that?

I don’t want to know that!

We’re all proud of our background and expertise, but if someone has just found your website they are probably looking for something – you need to tell them that they’ve found the right place. If they already know you – they probably know all that already!

Why have you got a website? Is it simply because everyone else has one? I hope not. If you’ve invested in having one designed and created, then you need to make it work for you – and pay your investment back, then start making a profit. Why would you do something that doesn’t help you to make a profit?

Understanding what you want the website to do is the first step. Understanding what people are looking for when they arrive there is the second step.

Know what their issues/problems/challenges are – and make sure that the message they get right away (that’s your headline) tells them there’s a good chance your website will deliver what they want!

If you think they’re going to read their way through your website to find out what they want to know – you’ll be disappointed. When you’re looking for information online, how long do you hang about if you can’t see something relevant right away?

I rest my case! Decide what you want it to do and then make every word work towards that end.
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