“Without good copywriters, we don’t have a business.” -Julie Guth
Back in 2018, I decided to strike out on my own as a website copywriter for two reasons:
- I wanted to help entrepreneurs communicate more effectively
- I knew copywriting was one of the most valuable assets in business
When I started out as a freelance website copywriter, I took advantage of every-single-gig that came my way.
I wrote all kinds of copy including blogs, landing pages, case studies, email sequences, and of course, I wrote entire websites.
I’m here to report back!
Which website copywriting mistakes did I see over and over again?
- Customer blindspots and sometimes, full-blown customer amnesia
- Underdeveloped brand voice and/or brand messaging
- Disorganized website copy without strong headlines to guide the user
- “Frankensteined” websites with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in
A lot of entrepreneurs and SBO’s are just too busy to focus on writing website copy. It’s completely understandable.
But in the midst of running a fast-moving startup, chasing prospects, and closing deals, what happens to the website?
It becomes a catchall for ideas, more and more content, and best laid plans.
Your website isn’t a 5-paragraph essay or a dissertation on your business.
It’s where you show them what you’re made of.
See your blindspots or wake up from customer amnesia
Who is your ideal customer? I know. It’s such a cliche. But really, who do you want your customer to be?
Now, who is spending money TODAY on your products and services?
How similar or different are these two personas?
My customer is an entrepreneur or small business owner who is trying to scale their business and/or introduce new products and services to the market.
(No, I don’t have a niche. I’m a rebel. I simply specialize in website copywriting.)
Brand Reality Check
The best advice about branding is this: brand is not features and benefits.
If your website copywriting isn’t hitting the mark, I can pretty much guarantee that your brand is the reason.
Your website copy needs something to go on–a deeper truth that’s way more than your products or services. But how do you figure out what that is?
You get a brand strategist to help.
The best brands know who they are–I’m not just referring to Warby Parker, Apple and Tesla.
You can have a powerful brand, too.
I can break out the white board and walk you through the big, conceptual questions, or I can do it without you if you don’t have the time!
Getting to know your brand is a fun process and it will help get your website copy right where it needs to be.
On the other hand, you might have your brand on lock and you really just need some professional website copywriting to pull it all together.
Never underestimate the value of a good headline
Some people are really good at writing snappy headlines. What they don’t tell you is how long it took them to write a winner.
No one expects you to have the time, interest or energy to write a hundred headlines until you strike gold.
Go to Apple’s website. Look at the headlines. Simple. Sleek. Legendary. It’s always illuminating.
The point is, your headlines and taglines might be the only chance you get to reach whoever is looking at your site.
You have to make every word count.
I write websites by headlines. When I’m done, you could extract only the headlines and read a story that makes perfect sense.
You don’t need to bother.
That’s strategy, but it also makes a site easy to read and navigate, achieving the ultimate goal…an informed, intrigued user primed for a call to action.
Don’t Frankenstein
There’s always the temptation to write way too much website copy. Or to add just one more page. You don’t have to go down that road.
A copywriter’s job is to write less, not more.
It’s like a breath of fresh air.
The best website copywriter’s set up a user experience, using just the right words, to guide a reader toward a pre-determined action.
No need for overly complicated user journeys or walls of text.
If you’re over DIY website copywriting, it’s easy to get in touch.
Maybe you’re doing your website copywriting right but you just want someone to a) tell you what to do next b) develop a strategy for you.
