March 27, 2023

Website content writing: best practices and pro tips

Quality website content is vital for attracting clients. Master website content writing and get tips from the expert Noga Cohen to increase engagement and sales.

Where to start

Before sitting down to type the words, you need to do some groundwork. We can't just start pouring fancy phrases on our website visitors. We need a base to encourage them and help them make a decision.

The goal of this stage is to establish for whom we're writing and what we want them to do. I guess you already have your business's target audience and goals figured out. But be careful: you need to define the website's goal specifically. It is a part of your overall goal but most likely not the goal itself.

The key to good website content writing is a nice balance between cheering for your brand and giving unconditional benefit. The ultimate formula:

Grabbing attention + Building trust = Desired action from the user

As soon as potential customers land on your page, they need to get excited with your headline and understand right away what your business is about. When you catch their attention, you can start giving them helpful information to build trust. At the right moment, you'll give them an opportunity to engage (subscribe, buy, set up a meeting, etc.).

Ultimately, when you're writing website copy, you should answer all the potential questions your audience might have so they can make this decision. The outcome of the preparation stage will be the list of those questions.

Examples:

  • What is your company doing?
  • How is your company different from XYZ?
  • What are your company’s products/services?
  • How your products/services will make my life better?
  • What is your expertise?
  • Why should I trust you?
  • Who are your existing clients, and what are they thinking?
  • What are your company’s values, and how are they reflected in your products/services?
  • Who produces/provides those products/services?

Key sections

There are classic sections that your website should have to give your target audience the maximum of information without overwhelming them. Each case is unique, and sometimes you need to think if some of those sections are relevant for you, or you may need to rearrange them or create an utterly unique one. I'll provide the basic list you can use as a starting point.

Those sections can also be pages if you have lots of crucial information. So on the homepage, show the intro and lead your visitors to a page with the rest of the information.

Hero section

It's what users see right as they land on your page. This is where you grab their attention. Traditionally you're supposed to have a photo, video, or illustration as a backdrop, a main header, and a short paragraph elaborating on your header. Also, you can have here your first call to action (CTA is a button that encourages the user to take a desired action: contact, buy, leave their contacts, etc.). Please, remember about the balance: this copy should be both "salesy" and descriptive to eliminate the guesswork.

PRO Website Content Writing. Noga Cohen on Hero section
If your hero section succeeds, your users will continue to scroll down the page, or if you've done a really great job, they will click on the CTA button. That's why it's important for the hero to describe the value you bring to the user accurately. This should be done in an intriguing yet informative way.
Don't write a vague hero by using a description that any other product or service could use as well. (Everyone helps with productivity, for example). Instead, be specific and even dive into what the product or service does. Eliminate the guesswork for your users; explain exactly what you want them to understand. This will also help you ensure your users are relevant to you.
The hero is also a great place to bring out your brand personality. Are you witty and funny? Business-like and informative? Concise and resourceful? Display these qualities in your hero, both in your copy and design.

Unique value proposition section

Here you build up on this attention you gained. UVP sets you apart from the competitors: how you can solve customers' problems, your unique technology, your certifications and patents, etc. You need to make sure that you present a real VALUE here. What will be a key aspect that will sell you to your target audience?

PRO Website Content Writing. Noga Cohen on UVPs
Your UVPs will convince your users to adopt your product or service. There are three main criteria for determining which UVPs you should include:
Industry-related UVPs - how your product answers the market problem. Or, in other words, what makes your product a good market fit? For example, you might leverage an analyst report explaining the preferred capabilities of a product and use them as your UVPs.
How you stand out compared to your competitors - highlight what makes you different and better than other players in the space. Don't mention the other companies; just make sure the differences stand out and are extremely clear.
What your audience is asking for - gather information from your customers or target audience about what matters to them. Use their words to describe the value you bring. This is probably the most important source for deciding on your UVPs.

Products/Services section

Now, when you have some credibility, you can show them what exactly you're offering. This is a pretty self-explanatory section. Also, you can put here a call to action (preferably the same as before, but it depends on your website goals).

Clients, testimonials section

Continue to build trust. It would help if you show the logos of the clients and/or partners and reviews on your business. It's better to curate testimonials so they would resonate with your audience and also be impressive to them.

A section about the company and the team

Here is your chance to share your mission and values to connect to the audience more personally. Also, showing a face behind the company may be a good idea. It will add up to the trust, especially in case team members are recognizable in the field.

Blog section: articles, publications, etc.

Here you can show your expertise to enhance the effect of all the previous sections. It can be a point of interaction with your audience and your chance to generate leads offering subscriptions. The only catch is you need to update your blog regularly. The "dead" blog serves the opposite purpose.

Contacts section

Make sure that your potential customers have multiple ways to contact you. See if there is room for one more call to action if your page is long. Though be careful and don’t overflow your website with CTAs.

PRO Website Content Writing. Noga Cohen on call to action
The best way to determine what to put CTAs is to test your website and see where people are scrolling and clicking. You can use session recording tools to do so. As a baseline, CTAs should appear on every page, especially after powerful sections, like customer testimonials.
Get creative with your CTAs: go beyond "learn more." Connect the content to the section the user just read. For example, after a customer testimonial stating they saved 500 work hours, you can write "Cut My Work Hours."

Workflow for writing your website copy

  1. Compile the list of sections you need for your website.
  2. Take the list of questions you prepared before, and distribute them to those sections. You can repeat questions in some sections – you will answer them from different angles.
  3. Actual website content writing: answer each question in each section.
  4. Make sure that your answers are structured, and form a harmonious storyline. Don’t miss the desired CTA copy.
  5. Read out loud to see if it's lively and in the style, you're aiming for. Check if you can make copy shorter (that’s almost always a plus).
  6. Proofread spelling, grammar, and stylistics.
  7. Your website content writing is done? Now you can give it to your designer to create your website's design. Find out why copy matters for your designer.

In conclusion, effective website content writing is crucial for any business. You can create high-quality website content by understanding your target audience and business goals. Following a structured workflow ensures that your content is informative, engaging, and persuasive. With these tips in mind, you can create website content that sets you apart from your competitors and helps you achieve your business goals.

I’m open to work in a product team in-house or become a part of an agency. In both cases you will get a hard-working and creative designer. Do you want to continue getting to know me here or are you ready to meet and talk?

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