The fact is, pretty websites don’t sell things. Words sell things. And if we haven’t clarified our message, our customers won’t listen. If we pay a lot of money to a design agency without first clarifying our message, we might as well be holding a bullhorn up to a monkey. The only thing a potential customer will hear is noise.

Donald Miller

Building A Story Brand (Harper Collins, 2017)

Congrats – you’ve got a shiny, new website that looks stunning!

Your web designer has flipped the switch, it’s gone live and then…
…the phone doesn’t ring; your inbox is empty and your DMs are being ghosted.

If your website’s looking pretty but not generating any new leads or sales – to put it bluntly – it’s as useful as a chocolate teapot my friend!

The right words on your website should speak directly one-on-one to your ideal client, pointing out the true value of your products and services and persuading them to get in touch to find out more.

The right words will attract and engage the dream clients you actually want to work with and put off the numpties you wouldn’t want to work with in a million years.

But where do you start with your website content?

Top tips for your website content

Here are my top tips for what content should be on the main pages of your website but first, let’s talk about….

Your Voice

This is really important! When you write content for your website, it should be written in your own unique voice and as if you’re speaking to one person – namely your ideal, dream client.

If you try to speak to everyone, you’ll end up connecting and engaging with no-one!

Don’t be afraid to show who you really are and inject your personality onto the page.

Life’s way too short to sound the same as everybody else, right?

And remember, as well as writing in your own voice, the content you write needs to be clear and concise with no waffle or fluff.

Home Page

The purpose of your homepage is to dangle and tease the details and make people curious enough to move through your website to find out more.

Provide a summary of each relevant area of the website, enticing them to click through to the most relevant sections for them.

 

  1. For starters, you need a kick-arse headline and tagline that sums up who you are and what you do. Keep it short and sweet. You’ve only got a few seconds to grab your reader’s attention and make them want to read on.
  2. Next, outline a pain point or challenge your ideal client might be dealing with.
  3. Then, give them the solution that you’ll be able to provide with your specific product or service.
  4. Tell your potential clients the value and benefits they can expect as a result of hiring you or using your services.
  5. Once you’ve set this out, you can introduce yourself a little telling them why YOU are the best person to solve their problem or challenge.
  6. Give them the step-by-step plan for how they can work with you.
  7. Finally, you need a clear call to action throughout the page and at the end – such as book a 1-2-1 call, sign up to your email list or download a freebie.

About Page

Contrary to popular belief, the About page on your website is NOT about you!

This page should reinforce the message to your potential client that you’re the right person to work with them to help solve their problems.

  1. Introduce yourself quickly with your name and what you do and that’s it.
  2. Firstly, talk about a problem that your ideal client is facing and explain to them how you’ll be able to provide the solution to their challenge.
  3. Then, explain the end result of working with you. What will they gain? How will their lives change afterwards? What will be the transformation?
  4. Demonstrate that you understand what they’re going through and have experienced the clients pain personally or through a customer.
  5. Explain how you fixed their problem for others, how many people you’ve helped, how many years you’ve been in business or how many clients you’ve worked with.
  6. Have a clear plan for how they can work with you – don’t be vague – make it obvious!

What else you could include

  • Relevant qualifications, credentials or accreditations
  • Case studies or client testimonials to back up what you’ve said
  • At least 1 photo of you, preferably smiling, so your potential customers can see the face behind the business
  • Credibility boosters, such as any awards you’ve won or features

Services Page

Depending on what you offer and how in-depth an explanation is required for each, this page can serve as:

  1. A storefront page: Outlining your services, what’s included, and prices, along with checkout links if clients are able to purchase online
  2. A directory of services: Outlining a summary of each, along with advice on who it’s for and teasing the potential results.

Provide clear and concise explanations of your services. Preferably, you should provide prices as potential customers like to get an idea of how much you would charge. It’s also a good way to deter time wasters and tyre kickers.

Sales Page

This page does exactly what it says on the tin!

You are blatantly selling a specific product or service here with a clear call to ONE, very specific action throughout the entire page.

Nothing on your sales page is more important than convincing your reader to take ACTION.

That is the whole purpose of the page.

Each word or line should move the narrative forwards, encouraging the reader to continue reading.

Therefore, your Sales Page needs to be extremely intentional, with no waffle or fluff!

Focus on the pain that your service helps avoid, making It clear that by purchasing this product or service, transformation is possible.

Make sure you have links to buy now (if that’s an option) and your contact details on the sales pages to make it easy as pie for your potential customers to purchase or get in touch.

 

Other things to include

  • Frequently asked questions
  • Video client testimonials
  • A little scarcity – time limited discounted offer for example
  • Future pacing the journey – let them imagine the changes and transformation to come

Need help with your website copy?

These tried and trusted tips based on Donald Miller’s StoryBrand principles were picked up from working with my copy coach, Chantelle Davison on her Copy College course.

If you’re struggling to come up with the right words for your website content, book a 30 min 1-2-1 Zoom call and let’s chat about how copywriting could transform your website and ultimately, your business.