How do you write a business website?

If you’ve recently set up a business, you either:

A) have a website already

B) agree that getting one set up is top of your priority list.

To keep costs down, you may be using a platform like WordPress or Squarespace, which allow you to set up a template and add or remove sections and pages as and when you see fit. But how do you go about writing your site - surely that’s a task for a professional copywriter, isn’t it?

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

While writing may not be your forte, no one knows your business quite like you do. So, you may feel you’re the best person for the mammoth task of writing your website.

If you’re on a budget and want to craft your own content, here are some pointers…

Do Your Research

You want to populate your website with the information your customers want and need - and that may involve doing some research into who they are and what they’re looking for. You don’t want to make your website a vehicle for sales, as such, but keep it a nice, light place for people to dip in and out of content that they will enjoy.

Make the most of a blog and post regular, useful content - and share your company’s backstory to let customers know a little more about how you got into business. Make sure things are relatable, if you can - and easy to read. Your customers want to know there’s a human behind your brand.

Don’t litter your content with too many keywords, either; remember, content should be written for people, first and foremost, and not the Google algorithm.

Sure, the right keywords may mean more people land on your site. If when they get there, though, they don’t stick around, filling your site with relevant keywords and phrases will have proved counterproductive.

Be a Stickler for Grammar and Spelling

By having a go at writing your own website content, you’re allowing your personality to shine through in your marketing messages - which is rarely a bad thing. If you do choose to forgo help from a copywriter, though, just make sure you check, check and check again when it comes to proofreading your content.

Spelling and grammar errors won’t look good, so be meticulous when proofreading your site and you’ll be glad you were.

Get a Second (or third!) Pair of Eyes on Your Site

Written your site? Ask a friend or some family members to take a look over it. They may spot things you’ve missed - or have some suggestions you haven’t thought about yet. They will also be looking at your site as a potential customer might - and if they don’t find it easy to navigate (or read!), neither will your target market.

Take comments on board - but if you really believe in what you’ve written, too, try not to get too bogged down if criticism comes from just one person.

Don’t Be Afraid to Tweak It

If your site content doesn’t seem to be working for you, wait a little while but then don’t be afraid to tweak it. When you do, though, always back up your content - just in case you lose what’s already there.

Plus, if you change the order of key pages or swap their URLs, ask your web developer to ensure the old pages ‘point’ to the new ones, technically speaking. That way, any benefits you have built up on your site in terms of search engine optimisation won’t go to pot.

Get an Expert to Do It

If all else fails and you’re tearing your hair out trying to write your own website content, get a copywriter to do it for you. As well as a full website copywriting service (whereby I write your website from scratch), I also offer a more affordable ‘Content Audit’ option.

The latter sees me provide you with a document which offers some hints, tips and suggestions - as well as some minor edits - to help you refine your website content yourself. Giving you an element of control and relieving you of a bigger website copywriting bill, a content audit is great value for small to medium-sized businesses. Just get in touch with me - a Huddersfield copywriter who can help you stand out online - if you’d like to learn more.

Until next time…

Writing for the Web: How To

Want a (very) mini masterclass in how to write for the web?

Oh, you don’t? Okay, no bother…I’ll see you back here next month when I’ll be sharing something that’s a bit more to your liking.

For now, though, pop and read the first post in my new ‘Good News Guide’ series, this piece on becoming a copywriter (if that’s what you so wish), or this article which delves into the myths people believe about what it’s like to be a freelancer.

Everyone else…stick around - and make yourself a brew before you dive right into my top tips.

Writing for the web, then: what are my top tips?

In a nutshell…

1. Know Your Audience

Made a bad ‘Dad Joke’ in a room full of teens? Or perhaps you heckled someone with poor presentation skills at a funeral. In either case, your attempt at ‘wit’ probably didn’t go down well, did it?

Knowing your audience is less of a skill and more of a given - especially if you’re in business.

You’ve probably heard the expression ‘Read the room’ - and it’s a phrase that’s been coined for good reason. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing (writing marketing messages being one), knowing your audience is essential. So, if you haven’t already, take some time to get to know them - and what makes them tick.

2.Less is (Usually) More

I should take a leaf out out of my own book - as that last point dragged on a bit, didn’t it?! If you’re still here, remember this: people’s attention spans aren’t what they used to be, with so much info coming at us from all angles. Keep your online messages concise to grab your customers’ attention, then.

3. Use Keywords

Now, there’s nothing very ‘s*xy’ about using keywords, is there? In fact, litter your content with them too freely and Google (it’s a clever so and so!) will know - and maybe even penalise you for it by not showing it to as many people. Pah.

Use keywords ‘naturally’ though, weaving them into your marketing messages with ease, and you’re onto a winner if you want more site visitors. I’m always keen to bring more people to my freelance Yorkshire copywriter site, which is why I add key words into my site cleverly (and some may even say, sneakily). You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

4. Don’t Overthink It

Comedians often write from experience. So do novelists. So, see if you can resonate with your customers by just being ‘real’ and sharing stuff people can relate to. Don’t overthink it by trying too hard to make everything you post online solely about making a sale.

5. Know Your Platform

I’ve mentioned getting to know your audience; you should also know a little about the platform you’re posting your content on - whether it’s your Squarespace or WordPress website; Facebook; Twitter or LinkedIn.

Some sites have a character count limit and others are designed for longer-form content like blogs. Get an understanding of who’s using the platform - and what for - and write your content with those two things in mind.

6.Use Headings

Break up long-form text - in bullet point form, with headings or images. Trust me; it’ll please those (i.e. most of us) with a short attention span and, well, it’s just easier on the eye.

7. Pay Attention to Spelling and Grammar

Trust me when I say you could lose a reader or two if your content is littered with errors. Check, check and check again.

8. Have Fun

When you enjoy putting your content together - and coming up with fun ideas regarding what to post - it’ll shine through. You may be a business owner but you don’t always have to be so ‘corporate’. Not if you don’t want to be, that is.

9. Try Something New

Tried and trusted content not working? Now’s the time to give something completely new a go. A silly poll, a ‘blast from the past’ type post to appeal to your customers’ sense of nostalgia, or even a cheeky giveaway.

10. Get Some Help

If you feel your time is better spent elsewhere because writing content just isn’t for you, outsource it to a professional. A professional like ‘meeeee’.

Yep, you knew where I was going with this post, didn’t you? Joking aside, though, as a business owner, you probably enjoy the fact that you don’t always have to do what you don’t want to do. That’s the beauty of being self-employed.

So, get in touch and let me see if I can take a task or two off your to-do list.

Until next time…

7 Lessons I've Learned During 7 Years as a Freelancer

I usually mark the anniversary of setting up my business as a freelance copywriter by at least treating myself to a large slice of cake. One year I pushed the boat out and had a spa day. This year? It has literally passed me by. Yep, really. Today - September 24 - more than two months after that all-important date (July 22, if you’re asking), I glanced at my calendar and realised I’ve missed it. Oh well.

As well as cutting myself a slice of belated anniversary cake (what else?!) after my tea, I thought I’d share some lessons I’ve learned during seven years as a freelancer. If you’re thinking of going it alone too, you might find these snippets of info useful. Or not. Here they are anyway…

Getting Your Tax Return Done Early is Always a Good Idea

Tax return season always seems a long way off. Until it’s not a long way off - and you suddenly have three days to find all those receipts and pull an all-nighter to get everything ready to send to HMRC.

If I have any advice for anyone entering the word of freelance, it’s to get your tax return done as soon as possible.

Get an accountant on board, organise your receipts and expenses month by month (set up a handy filing system to sort everything by type) and get your return done as early as possible. When January rolls around, you’ll be giving yourself a big pat on the back. Quickbooks is my saviour and it might be yours too.

Working in Your PJs Doesn’t Always Mean You’ll Be Less Productive

It’s a rite of passage that when you go freelance, you have the opportunity to work in your PJs as much or as little as you want. It isn’t something I make a habit of, but when I’ve had a sleepless night or a rough start to the day, I have been known to answer a few emails in my pyjamas. Guess what…it doesn’t mean I’m any less productive.

When you’re freelance, you work from home and you don’t have to head out for a meeting or client catch-up, the suited and booted office look just isn’t necessary. That said, I wouldn’t advise you log onto a Zoom call in your fleecy onesie.

…But Sometimes it Does

If there’s no excuse for you not to be wearing something ‘proper’, get out of those blinking PJs and get blinking dressed. Do I sound like your mother?!

More often than not, getting changed does equal boosted productivity. So does making your bed. And tidying your workspace. Tidy space, tidy mind and all that.

It Doesn’t Matter How Long You’ve Been in Business, You’ll Still Question Your Prices

I don’t know a freelancer who doesn’t agree that going freelance was the best thing they ever did. When you’ve pretty much turned something you love doing into a career, you WILL question your prices. After all, getting paid for something you enjoy seems like the dream. Allow me to let you into a secret…it is.

On occasion, you might also question if your prices are too high - especially if you charge by the hour. Remember, though, clients aren’t just paying for the time it takes for you to complete a project; they’re paying for your experience, which took way more than the one, two or three hours it took for you to draft that piece of work.

Sometimes, You’ll Have to Tell a Client It Isn’t Working Out (And That’s Okay)

In seven years as a freelancer, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had to back out of a project before I’ve completed the work. In fact, I can probably count on two fingers. Sometimes, though, it happens.

Try as you might, a client relationship doesn’t always go smoothly - just like the relationships we have with friends, family and others around us. Personalities can, sadly, clash, and sometimes the client (or you) is expecting a project to work out differently.

If you’re experiencing a tricky working relationship that doesn’t fit well with you or the way you do business - and you’ve tried your best to make sure the work…er…works out - don’t be afraid to back out.

The joy of being freelance is that you don’t have to say ‘yes, sir’, ‘no, sir’ to a ‘boss’ you can’t - or won’t work with. If someone doesn’t value your time or expertise, I promise you’ll feel great if you gently explain that another freelancer might be a better fit for them - and that’s fine too. We’re not forced to get on with everyone we meet, after all.

Saying ‘No’ Can Be Liberating

Sometimes, you can spot red flags before you even start working with a client - and you should always trust your gut. If someone is causing unnecessary issues before the project has kicked off, it might be worth your while to just say ‘no’.

I know from experience that the client who takes weeks to respond to initial emails will also take weeks to pay your invoice.

Ditto the client who gets in touch to say ‘I’ve worked with X number of copywriters and I’m not happy with any of the work I’ve seen’ is probably harder to please than most. You could take on the work, or you could confidently say ‘no’ and save yourself the stress. Success as a freelancer - or indeed in anything - isn’t based on money alone.

You’ll Never Work a Day in Your Life

Eagle-eyed readers of this blog post may notice that the sentiment of this lesson is pretty much the same as the point I made about pricing your services. Basically, it’s so true that when you work for yourself it won’t feel like work…that I just had to say it twice.

Thinking of going freelance? I promise you won’t regret your decision.

Until next time…

PS: Find this blog post useful? Let me know by saying hello via email. Oh, and if you need a Yorkshire copywriter to help you with a project or two, I’d love to hear from you too.

Not in the mood to write? Here's How to Get Going...

Ah, writer’s block. It is indeed a thing - and it’s a very annoying thing.

For me, writer’s block strikes on the days I feel most productive. I bounce out of bed, ready and raring to get stuck into a day’s scribing…and you can bet your bottom dollar that’s the day I’m reaching for my thesaurus and feeling nothing short of bl**dy disheartened.

Writer’s block comes to us all - and you don’t need to be a writer to suffer from it. Whether you’re wracking your brains over an email to send to your boss or you’re revising your CV ahead of applying for a new role, you’ll face a day when the words just ain’t a-coming. If it rears its ugly head for you too, here’s what to try…

Have a Break

Go on, have a break…and have a KitKat while you’re at it. If you can’t find the words you need, don’t force ‘em. You’ll only wind up feeling frustrated if you do.

So, switch off your laptop, make yourself a cuppa, go for a wander or have a chat to a pal - if you can. Admittedly, this may only work if you’re self-employed, or if it’s the weekend. Go walkabout from your office role for too long and you may have a very bemused boss on your hands.

If you can though, give yourself however long you need to take some time out and I promise you’ll feel much better afterwards. You may still not find the words, but at least you won’t be tearing your hair out while you stare at a blank Word document.

Just Get Something Down. Anything.

Trying to write something truly creative? Plenty of writers will tell you to just get something down on the page - even if you think it’s a pile of tosh. I’ll be honest…this doesn’t work for me. In fact, it only makes me feel worse when I see that what I’ve written is, well, pretty dire.

It’s a trick that’s tried and trusted by many a copywriter, though - and it may just do the job for you too.

Try an old-fashioned brainstorm (or mind map, as is the more PC phrase these days) and come up with some themes and subjects that will give you some much-needed inspiration to keep the words a-flowing.

Ask a Pal

It isn’t cheating to ask someone else for a dash of inspiration; some of the world’s greatest writers are believed to have taken their cues from wordsmiths of years gone by.

So, ask someone - writer or otherwise - if they have any bright ideas for how you can pen your intro to your email, or the bio for your CV. They may not come up with the winning idea, but they may well lead you down a path that allows you to come up with something great of your own accord.

Read Something Else

Stop reading what you’ve written and feeling bad about how little you’ve got down. Instead, down tools and pick up a book. This is the same as having a break from your screen, except the act of reading someone else’s words may well spark your imagination to help you come up with some text of your own.

Admit Defeat. Yes, Really!

If the words aren’t popping out of your head and onto the page, don’t stress. If your deadline will allow, just admit defeat. I know, this goes against all the traditional advice about writer’s block, but stuff it! I’m a big believer in not forcing creativity. Some days, we produce excellent work - writing or otherwise - and some days we don’t. Simple.

So, pop on a Netflix episode, grab a slice of cake, kick back and relax. I bet those words will come tomorrow.

How do you tackle writer’s block? Do you plough on through and get something down on paper regardless - or do you switch off your laptop and vow to come back to the task in hand tomorrow? Let me know in the comments section below…

Until next time…