How to Write Content for a Small Business Website
I bet you’re here because you want to learn how to write content for your small business website.
Did I guess correctly?
For those new to concept of content writing, it could definitely feel a little overwhelming to stare at a blank page and wonder just what in the heck you should write something. In this blog post, I want to take the stress out of the process for you and offer a simple overview on how to write content for a small business website. Browse through some of my other posts to learn more about keywords and SEO, strategy tips and small business marketing!
Okay, are you ready to dive in and learn more about writing content for your website? Let’s go.
Important Questions to Ask
Just like everything else, there’s a pretty straightforward approach to getting content onto your website but it does take a little planning and research. Here’s what you should take a look at before sitting down in front of your website:
What’s the reason for creating a small business website? Is it to attract new customers? Are you creating it to sell products or do you want to use it as a source of information and education to your ideal market? Before you know what to write, you need to know WHY you’re writing it.
Who’s reading it? Another powerful way to create relevant content for your audience is to know as much as you can about your target market. Where are your visitors coming from (other websites, social media, etc.)? What are they interested in learning about? Understanding your audience helps you map out valuable content to keep your customers engaged.
Once you have some of the basic information down, it’s time to start creating content for your small business website.
Creating a Wireframe
It’s incredibly frustrating to sit down at a blank screen and expect everything to flow perfectly. Save yourself the headache and create a general website wireframe before getting started so you see how everything pieces together BEFORE getting to the white canvas that’s your website.
Things to look at include:
How many pages are included in the website?
What type of content do you plan on sharing? Common pages include About, Blog, Contract, Shop, etc.
Is it clear, concise and easy to navigate?
Use a piece of paper to write down the various pages you want to include and how they will link to one another. It’s also a good idea to figure out why you want the pages you do — a lot of times I come across websites with a handful of different pages that don’t really belong or they contain so little value.
Instead of inundating your reader, KEEP IT SIMPLE. The longer it takes for visitors to find what they’re looking for, the greater chance they’re hopping off and going somewhere else.
Different pages will also have varying types of content, so plan out how you want content to appear visually on the page - whether it’s scrolling through blog posts or a static information page.
Writing Content for Your Small Business Website
Once you have your framework mapped out, it’s time to write the content! Here are some tips to consider to make the process flow a little easier:
Have your goals mapped out and aligned with your website’s purpose. If you finished the previously mentioned steps, you’re at a good place to start writing. Keep those goals in mind as you write each page and look at the content from the eyes of your customer or reader. One major mistake found on small business websites is focusing too much on the business and not how it SERVES.
Always include a call to action. What do you want your readers to do? If you want them to read more, purchase, or contact the business, make it clear on each page through call-outs or buttons and URLs.
Break up text. Have you ever been face-to-face with a wall of never-ending content? It’s overwhelming! As you write content, give the words you write plenty of space to breathe. White space is always preferred through the addition of bullet points, font size variation, spacing, and bold or italicized type. Imagine your readers are scanning the page: what information do you want them to get first?
Writing content for a small business website is important and definitely takes a little practice. Consider writing a draft or two at first and then editing it down to be as clear and concise as possible. Have peers check it out and give you honest but constructive feedback. Want help or need to restructure the messaging on your small business website? Let’s connect and talk about how my copywriting services can help.
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