The search for funding is a major concern for many start-ups but your website could be bringing in cash for you whilst you’re hunting for investment. Website copywriting is one of the major resources you need in order to make your business a success online as it helps improve search engine optimisation and helps to convert your website visitors into customers.

However, copywriting is often one of the last areas of a website to be completed as business owners often choose to spend more of their budget on their website design rather than on copywriting.

If you want to write your own website content but don’t know where to start then this five step plan will ensure your content is selling your products or services for you 24/7.

1. Find your keywords

Without optimisation your website is unlikely to bring in the customers and cash that you need it to.

By having optimised content on your website from the moment it goes live, your website has a greater chance of being noticed by the search engines and listed in the search results. Choosing keywords can be tricky, especially if you sell multiple products or services as this can mean you have hundreds of different words to choose from.

Start by thinking about what it is that you sell and the kinds of words that your potential customers would use to find your website. For example, if you sold bridal wear it’s likely that visitors would enter phrases such as ‘wedding dresses,’ ‘designer wedding dresses,’ ‘bride dresses,’ ‘bridal gowns’ and so on. Once you’ve made a note of these you can then check out competitors’ websites to see what they’re optimising their web pages for. To find an indication of what the website is optimised for right click on a web page and click ‘View Source’. This will open a separate page which features the website’s source code. Most website source codes will include a list of keywords that the website is optimised for near the top of the code. When you note these keywords down you will begin to get a better idea of what words you should be optimising your own website for.

There is free software available which will tell you how many searches are made for each keyword, such as Google’s keyword tool,  and this will enable you to see which words are worth optimising your website copywriting for.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is not necessarily a difficult process but it can be time consuming and it does take a while before you see results, which is why many companies choose to use SEO companies to optimise their websites. Google has a great guide on choosing a reputable SEO company which will help you to decide whether outsourcing your SEO is the right move for your company.

2. Find your voice

All writers have a voice; you can tell the difference between a Danielle Steele novel and a Stephen King novel without looking at the cover as they have their own unique way of writing. Your website content should also have its own voice and this should reflect your company’s brand. For example, if your website sells services which are targeted to people over 60, then this will have a very different tone of voice to a website created to appeal to teenagers.

When you write your website content you need to find a voice which reflects who you are as a company and which engages with your target audience.

To help define who your target audience is you can build up a profile of a typical customer. How old are they? What job do they have? What’s their annual household income? What hobbies do they have? What do they spend their disposable income on? This may seem as though you’re generalising your customer base but it’s far easier and more effective to write with a specific ‘type’ of person in mind rather than trying to write to appeal to your entire customer base. When you have defined your ‘typical customer’ you can then tailor your copywriting to appeal to them.

3. Decide what content to include

Creating content for an entire website can be daunting, especially if your site has numerous pages, such as with ecommerce websites.

Be selective about what content you want on your website as people tend to skim read online so overly long pages and too much information could easily put people off. It can be easy to go off on a tangent when you start writing and include reams and reams of information on why you think a product is great for example.

Plan out your pages so they include a short opening paragraph to set the tone of the page, a couple of paragraphs to cover your main points and a final paragraph to sum up the page content. If you find yourself going off on a tangent then use any ‘off-topic’ content as the basis of a blog post or create a separate website page for it.

4. Break up the content

When you have the information you want on each page you can then format the pages so the content is easy to read. Start by checking the length of your sentences and see if any can be shortened. If any sentences contain three or more points, break these up into separate sentences or use bullet points. Check the length of your paragraphs too and break these up with subheadings to introduce new points so visitors can clearly see what each section of content is about. Don’t forget to include links within the copy to take visitors to different pages on your website which contain further information. This helps to keep the content on your main website pages short and sweet.

5. Sell the benefits

The internet is an incredibly competitive marketplace so you need to convince potential customers that they should buy from you and not your competitors. A classic copywriting tip is to backup each feature you describe with a benefit to the customer. An effective way to do this is to list your products or services, then list the main features of each of these and then list at least three benefits for each. An example of copywriting which describes the features of a dress reads like this...

“Slip style, knee length dress in blue.”

Copywriting which describes the features and benefits of a dress reads like this...

“The vintage inspired slip cut of this knee length dress is right on trend for this season’s party wear. The unique design and stunning silk fabric means you will look stunning whether you’re out for dinner or hitting the dance floor, making it a superb investment. Available in deep sapphire blue, the rich colour and delicate drapes of this party dress will complement any figure.”

As you can see, the first description merely describes what the product is. The second description enables customers to clearly see the benefits of buying this dress which are that it is fashionable, will suit their shape, is versatile and represents good value for money.

By telling customers exactly what you’re offering and how it will enrich their lives it’s far easier for customers to visualise how your products or service will benefit them directly.

Once you have your copywriting basics in place you can then add fresh content to your website using the simple guide above.

Sarah is joint owner of the UK copywriting company Pure Ink, which she co-founded in 2008. She specialises in search engine optimisation copywriting, developing tone of voice for clients and also crafting headlines and taglines for projects.