The perfect website, part one: copywriting

Websites aren’t that complicated, but copywriting is. If you have a website, you probably think it’s fine. You look at your competitors’ sites and they don’t seem much different: a few general lines about what you do, a contact form or a phone number, and you call it a day.

But you’re missing the biggest opportunity to win customers: telling the story of why you’re the best at what you do, why you’re better than the alternatives, and how not working with you creates problems for the customer. That’s all copywriting.

Look at most websites. Do they actually say anything? Lots of fluffy words like “quality service” and “we’re the best,” and no benefit that makes a reader think, “I need to work with these people.”

Why professionals struggle to write about themselves

Almost every professional I work with has trouble writing good copy about themselves. They don’t like writing, and they definitely don’t like bragging in writing. It feels weird, and they worry colleagues, friends and clients will look down on them.

And bad copy can make a business look cheap and break the brand you spent years building. We’ve all seen the ambulance-chaser commercials. They may work, but they look sleazy, and no serious professional wants that. The job is to explain all the value you bring without sounding like a charlatan.

Start with the interview

Every good page starts with an interview that digs into how you create value for your clients. Then go a step further:

• What problem would I have if I hired someone cheaper, skipped this entirely or tried it myself?
• Who is your biggest competitor?
• What are three reasons a customer should choose you over them?

You need a clear story of how going without you creates a real problem for them. Once we have that, the messaging flows, and the copy sells your services and brings in leads.