You’re just getting started on your new business. You choose your brand colors, brainstorm logo design concepts, and start thinking about your website design. After all, you want your website to look professional and aesthetically pleasing.
It is so easy to get caught up in the design of everything to make sure it looks juuust right, and gloss over your website content (i.e., the copy and messaging on your site). And that is where many business owners run into issues.
They launch this beautiful site...and they wait. And wait. And wait. But nothing happens—no subscribers, no phone calls or inquiries, no leads. Period.
When entrepreneurs find themselves in this situation, it’s likely because they failed to understand one important concept:
Good design will only get you so far if your audience doesn’t know what you do and your message doesn’t resonate with them.
Don’t get me wrong, a good website and brand design is an essential part of your marketing strategy. Both play important roles in user experience. Design won’t make a difference, though, if your visitors leave your website without knowing what you offer and how your product or service benefits them.
Your website is often the first place potential customers encounter your business. So how do you establish a solid website content strategy? Keep reading for how to create compelling content on each page of your site.
Foundation of an Engaging Website Messaging Strategy
Brands should use their website content to tell a story. It should both engage and inform your audience while focusing on their problem and the solution you offer.
I know this is difficult to do for your own business, but crafting customer-centric messaging is crucial to your brand. If you’ve been following me, you’ve probably heard me mention the StoryBrand method. I highly recommend any business owner read the book, Building a StoryBrand, and make a free account to create your StoryBrand script. It will help you identify your target audience and unique value proposition (UVP), which will strengthen your marketing and sales efforts.
(Hint: Entrusting a copywriter also helps to bring out the best of your brand, thanks to the outside perspective!)
On the SEO side, an effective website content strategy includes optimizing your copy with keywords specific to your industry, target audience, and goal of each page. Consider user intent and answer common questions, particularly those that you don’t see a lot of competition for (i.e., existing content).
How to Write Effective Homepage Copy
If your website is your virtual home, your homepage is your digital doorstep. What is the first impression you give visitors when they land there? Most importantly, does your homepage copy demonstrate the benefits of your product or service?
Check the effectiveness of your homepage content by recruiting a neutral person (not someone in your audience or business) to review it using what Digital Marketer (DM) calls the 7-second test, which should tell them:
What product or service you offer
What problem you solve (i.e., Why should they care?)
What action you want them to take
Why seven seconds? Recent research shows that people spend an average of 15 seconds (yikes!) on a website. DM advises grabbing their attention and communicating your main point in half that time so they don’t bounce.
Include just one CTA on your homepage so as not to confuse your audience. Do you want them to sign up/register? Take a quiz or assessment? Start a demo/trial? Subscribe to your newsletter?
DM notes that “Purchase now” is not an ideal CTA for a homepage. The goal of this page is to inform and build trust, so give your prospects something free in exchange for their first action.
To create enticing lead magnets, consider what your ideal customer would find valuable. Some ideas include:
PDF checklist
Report
eBook
White paper
Video
Webinar
Avoid vague, confusing messaging. Be clear about what your company offers. As StoryBrand founder Donald Miller says, “When you confuse, you lose!” Don’t make people search and dig around for information because chances are, they aren’t going to.
As a marketer, HubSpot is often one of the first influencers I look to for best practices, and their homepage is no exception. They keep it simple, telling visitors what they offer and providing a clear CTA. HubSpot provides a free version of their platform, knowing that their target customer is likely to fall in love with the software and purchase a more robust package.
How to Write a Captivating About Us Page
People do still check out your About Us page, even if they only skim it. They want to verify a business and see the faces behind it. Consider this page as an opportunity to:
Tell your brand’s story.
Explain your inspiration and what sets you apart from competitors.
Build a connection to your audience by showing them you care and understand them.
How to Tell Your Story
Shopify recommends this simple formula for crafting a narrative for your About Us page:
Set the scene: Introduce the characters or setting, and establish the status quo or “the way things were” for you, your target customer, or your industry.
Introduce the problem: Describe the problem that called you (the main character) to act.
Rise to the challenge: Explain how you set out to find a solution (i.e., start your business) and the obstacles you faced along the way.
Arrive at a solution: Share details of how your business is pursuing its purpose and the milestones you’ve hit.
Envision what’s next: Paint a picture of the future for your company or state its mission and goals.
Additional elements to feature on your about us page include:
Your Business Model: What do you do differently? Do you have environmentally responsible practices? Donate a portion of your proceeds to charity? Use more efficient processes to pass savings onto customers?
Social Proof: Share any publicity, testimonials, and awards to build credibility.
Statistics: Display numbers showing how many people you’ve helped, how much your operations have reduced resource consumption, etc.
Your Team: Show the faces behind your brand to build trust and personal connections. Talk about your culture and values.
Photos and Videos: Share behind-the-scenes content of your team and processes.
Avoid generic “about” info and focusing too much on material things like your warehouse or industry jargon. Your customers won’t care about these things.
I don’t know about you, but an immediate turn-off for me is when I try to check out who runs a company and only find a vague description of what they “offer”, rather than genuine, unique information that tells me why I should care and trust them.
When it comes to writing About Us pages, I love diving into a brand’s story. I often use this page to set expectations on what it would be like to work with a company. One example of this is IT consulting company ForeSight Information Systems, where I outlined the easy process of working with them and the relief clients would experience after hiring ForeSight.
How to Create a High-Converting Service or Product Page
Writing a persuasive service or product page is not simply about listing what is included. Your copy should focus on benefits before features.
Show potential clients what life would be like with your product or service. Will you save them time and money? Will you help them get healthy or reduce chronic pain? Does your service teach them a professional skill?
How will your specific offering help them win?
Use your product or service page to explain how yours is different from your competitors. Explain your UVP as it applies to each specific offering.
Your product or service page is also a great place to feature social proof related to that particular offering, such as testimonials, product reviews, and user-generated content (UGC).
Some brands even include Instagram feeds to show how other customers use their products. JustFab has customers use #JustFabStyle to show up in their feed:
Finally, include a clear CTA on this page. For basic product pages, this could simply mean “Buy now”; for large-investment purchases or services, you might tell prospects to book a free consultation. Either way, the rest of your content should guide them to the desired action.
Avoid focusing too much on features and not enough on how it will help your customers. Talk benefits first, then show them the features.
Take this social media services page for The Social HQ, one of my website copywriting clients. We focused on their client’s current frustrations trying to manage their own social media, and what life would be like if they worked with The Social HQ instead.
How to Craft a Helpful Contact Us Page
Although many businesses tend to overlook or rush through this one, your Contact Us page is not one that should be skipped.
A solid Contact Us page should be easy to navigate. Follow these tips:
Explain why someone should contact your company and how you’ll help them.
Include all applicable forms of contact (e.g., phone, email, chat, booking/scheduling tool)
Keep contact forms short and simple; however, many websites are moving away from forms (I removed mine to avoid spam, and now only have my contact info and a booking link for appointments).
If you do use a contact form, redirect it to a thank you page letting them know when someone will be in touch.
Link to other resources like your company blog, video library, FAQs, product registration, etc.
Link to your brand’s social media accounts to give visitors a way to stay engaged.
Make it memorable with fun and creative copy and imagery.
Yeti is a great example of a Contact Us page done right. They kept it clean, simple, and helpful, with links to other popular resources on their site.
Create a Powerful Website Content Strategy for Every Page
When it comes to your website content strategy, your target customers and what you can do for them should be top of mind. Determine your site structure, what pages you’ll need, and the goal of each page. As long as you know your audience and UVP inside and out, your website messaging will be authentic and powerful.
Sometimes, the best solution is to partner with someone outside of your organization. When you work with an external copywriter, they will ask the right questions and weave your words into copy that converts visitors into leads. If you’re ready to invest in website copywriting that encompasses your brand voice and resonates with your ideal clients, book a free consultation to learn more about how I can help today!