Copywriting Archives - Stacey Meadwell

Is your website copy clear about what you do?

‘Of course, our website copy tells people what our company does,’ I hear you say.

Slightly different question: Does your website copy describe what your company does using the same words and phrases your clients would use?

Because that’s the thing, the words you use and those your potential clients use might not be the same. And it’s a crucial distinction if you want your business website to appear in searches.

When you are in the flow of writing about what you do, talking about your services and offer, it’s tempting to make it sound, well, a bit more flash. You might want to use technical terms or marketing lingo.

Here’s an example. I came across a company name, and I wanted to check what they did. I had an inkling were an office fit-out business.

So I Googled the company name to find their website and clarify what they did.

After spending 10 minutes scrolling through various pages on their website, I was still not 100% sure if they were an office fit-out company.

Fancy phrases vs clear and simple

The reason? Nowhere on the website did it mention ‘fit-out’. Instead, they used phrases like ‘end-to-end workspace solutions’.

If you were looking for a company to fit out your new office, would you search for ‘end-to-end workspace solutions’? Or would you search for ‘office fit-out company’?

It’s not unusual for B2B website copy to leave visitors confused about what the business actually does.

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Why you should put customer benefits first in content

This is quite a common mistake professional service businesses make when writing about their services.

They tell people what they do, then they tell their audience why it is important (what is in for them).

Or worse they skip addressing the ‘what’s in for me’ altogether and just talk about what they do.

Orange megaphone on an orange background — Photo by Oleg Laptev on Unsplash

I saw a social media post recently which was aimed at selling a particular business service.

However, the post started something like: ‘At Jones & Co we have an expert team of widget analysts’.

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A good example of rewarding brand loyalty (and good copywriting)

👏 Abel & Cole.

I may be a regular customer but that doesn’t mean I don’t review the value I get from my weekly fruit and veg box delivery.

Abel & Cole don’t wait for me to cancel or reduce my order, instead, they occasionally send ‘A Little Freebie’ which makes me feel valued as a customer.

But not only that, the friendly note they put in with my freebie directs me to their website to a blog post with handy tips for upcycling the packaging.

So to recap:

👉 They have made me feel valued.

👉 They’ve given me another reason to visit their website.

👉 They have reminded me of their sustainability credentials which reinforce the brand image and appeals to my own values.

👉 Given me useful information/fun ideas.

You might also like to read:

From my portfolio: Is extending PDR the answer to housing delivery

Learning to teach my first content writing workshop

How to avoid writing fluffy content

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Writing online content – 4 practical tips

iphone dark notebook pen — Photo by Negative Space on Pexels.com

I’ve been writing for the web for many years, both for work and on my theatre blog, making some of the common mistakes along the way.

But I’ve learned from those mistakes, and I wanted to share some of the tips I’ve picked up.

This is practical advice rather than what to write and how to write because if your carefully crafted words aren’t easy to find and read, they won’t get read.

1. Keywords

For Google to find your content, it needs to contain the search terms your target audience would use when looking for information on that topic.

Don’t be too clever; use the common words and phrases, and if several different terms can be used, include them all.

For example, if you are writing about flexible office space, some people might search for articles on ‘flex space’, ‘ serviced offices’ or ‘co-working space’, so it’s a good idea to include all these terms.

Don’t stuff your content with keywords; rather, make sure you’ve covered the common bases.

And don’t forget to include keywords in your headline.

2. Mobile-friendly

Remember that people could be reading your blog post, article or web content on a phone or tablet, not just a laptop or desktop.

Current trends show that the proportion of web searches made on mobile devices has overtaken laptops and desktops.

So it’s important to check how your content looks and reads on all devices and make sure your website is mobile-friendly.

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Overcoming writer’s block

: Photo by bruce mars on Pexels.com

Search Engine Journal has produced a really useful list of techniques for overcoming the inevitable writer’s block.

It can be agonising when you just can’t find the words and an occupational hazard for anyone who has to write.

I’m definitely an advocate of a change of scene, sometimes just switching from desk to sofa can help me or I’ll head out to a café – I wonder if a short stroll in fresh air is part of the reason why that works?

Also researching around the topic can sometimes reveal an unexpected inroad into a subject.

And then there is the looming deadline. I know a lot of journalists who need the pressure of time to get fingertips tapping the keyboard.

Do you have a tried and tested technique for overcoming writer’s block or just to get you past prevarication?