Ten common mistakes people make when they DIY their website copy
Have you decided to build your next business website? Are you a service-based business owner??Well, read on to help you avoid some of the common mistakes some people make when they decide to DIY their website copy!
Mistake number 1: A home page that does not immediately say who you help
Visitors have come to your site to see if their problem can be solved.?You have seconds to convince them they have come to the right page.?Creativity is not what is needed here, but plain speaking!??Say for example I am looking for a house builder to convert my loft.?Very quickly I want to see on the Home Page that the company I am looking at builds lofts, where they build them, and an idea of why I should choose them.?It sounds so simple, but many websites just do not come to the point quickly enough.?Sometimes I find myself searching for the area they cover when this should be immediately obvious.?This should be prominently on your home page so it can be read fully on PC, mobile, and tablet. ?This is crucial for attracting your ideal clients and repelling enquiries which you just cannot service.
Mistake number 2. A poorly thought-out call to action
Take some time to plan out how you want your website visitors to contact you and exactly what you want them to contact you for.?You want to attract excellent quality leads and repel visitors who you can’t help, don’t have the budget, or simply are not at the right stage yet.?This might involve thinking through your whole sales process.?Do you want people to call for a chat right now? Do you want to receive all your enquiries by email if you are out on-site working all day and cannot take calls? ?Do you want visitors to book into your online diary or call to book a consultation? ?What information do you need to collect – name, company name, phone number, postcode, size of the company??Think about how you will qualify your leads when you receive them before putting together a contact form.?Also, remember people could enter your site on any page, not just the home page, so have a call to action, of some kind,?prominently on each page.
Mistake number 3: Lumping your services together into one page
One big mistake to avoid is lumping all your services together into one page or putting everything on the home page.?This will restrict your potential reach for each service in the search engines and means your meta description for that page could be too broad.?Having one page for each service allows you to provide the level of detail a potential client is looking for, so always make sure each of your services is on a separate page (as far as possible).?Think about at least putting your most profitable services on separate pages and then grouping together less profitable services onto one page if you are running out of menu bar options or time.
Mistake number 4: An “About” page that does not provide any background to your business and the people who run it
Some of the weakest “About” pages are often either way too long and completely focussed on the life story of the company owner or just simply focus on the company and what it does.
Visitors don’t want to know your life story and they do not need to know the history of your company in full either.?They want to know who they might be dealing with and why you are qualified to solve their problems so just include relevant stuff, be brave, and cut out stuff that doesn’t add value.
Take the opportunity to explain your company background but make clear how it will benefit your clients.?Make it relevant and snappy.?A few short paragraphs should do it, along with some photos of key members of staff and a really short blurb about each person can really bring a company to life.
Mistake number 5: Poorly thought-out navigation
Menu planning and a clear path around your website are critical.?If a client gets frustrated because they cannot find what they need they will just exit your site.?If you are planning a new website, take time to plan out your website menu bar to include your page names, drop-down menus and also think about the menu bar which can go at the bottom of your home page if you have more items you wish to add.?Think about the value of each page and if it really needs to be on your site.?Don’t forget to add relevant links to each page of your site to other pages to allow visitors to smoothly navigate your site and hopefully they will stick around a little longer to find the information they need and contact you.
Mistake number 6: Not making clear your geographical reach
I have visited many websites to find information for a service I need to update my home and get frustrated trying to find out if they cover my area.?This information needs to be on your home page.?Do you help clients nationally or just locally??If just locally where do your boundaries lie??Can you be specific by town/postcode/region/county??And it is not enough to state where YOU are based, clients want to know if you will work where THEY are.?It sounds so straight forward but it is amazing how many businesses do not address this!?Get this right and you will attract your ideal clients and reduce admin by repelling clients you cannot service.
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Mistake number 7: Failing to state your unique selling points
There might be 100s or 1000s of other companies that do what you do out there. ?They might also offer a remarkably similar service in principle e.g., renovation, bricklaying, decorating, and carpentry.?Take the time to establish your unique selling points (USP's).?What makes you different from all the other companies??Perhaps it is the experience you have, your approach, your exemplary team, the mix of services you can offer, the speed at which you can get the job done, etc…?Ensure these USP's all come through in your website copy to attract your ideal clients.?Failing to do this will mean your company will not stand out online.
Mistake number 8: Focusing on what you do
Many websites (typically the first website a business builds) often focus on the service that they offer and push that. But wait, take a step back. Think about the problem the client might have and how your service might overcome that.?Instead, try to focus on the value and the outcome that you deliver to your clients.?Think about the transformation you take your clients through and the results they will achieve.?When you are writing, think about how to connect with your ideal clients and put yourself in their shoes rather than simply stating what you do.?This approach makes for much more engaging copy.?As an example, a loft conversion company might talk about how the homeowner’s quality of life might improve from having an extra room rather than just saying they are an excellent loft building company.
Mistake number 9: Failure to prove your service
A website that is full of claims that you can do this or that is nothing without proof.?Testimonials and project/case study pages are worth their weight in gold.?Many companies do offer this on their websites but a surprising number of clients who contact me simply have not reached that stage yet.?Even if you have achieved this, moving on to your next generation website will give you the opportunity to review how up-to-date your testimonials and case studies are and if they still reflect the ideal clients you are looking to attract.
Mistake number 10: Using lengthy paragraphs of text
People scan text on websites and search for answers to their problems. You need short sentences, bullets, short paras, boxes, hyperlinks so that people can scan bitesize chunks of text.?Lots and lots of lengthy paragraphs will bore your reader and are unlikely to be read.
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Does this all sound a little overwhelming? Would you prefer someone else to guide you through this process and write all your website copy???
Why not book your FREE 30-minute Discovery Call with me to see how I can help you get your project off your desk and onto mine??Simply book yours here: www.lee-townsend.co.uk/contact .?I look forward to hearing about your project.
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