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How to strategically plan and write your website content like a pro copywriter

Writer's picture: Jim MorrisseyJim Morrissey

Updated: Jul 17, 2024



Table of contents:


You’ve probably already read and digested a few articles about planning and writing website content. That’s great! Knowledge is power, as they say. Thing is, many of those posts exclude the two essentials you absolutely must know before you can even think about writing great copy.

 

This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of the steps you need to take to write reader-centric, well-structured, and conversion-led copy. It also includes the important questions you must ask yourself to adopt a copywriter’s ‘selling’ mindset.


Your objective is to write content that makes your website a digital sales machine, working 24/7 to bring in enquiries, or consistently score whatever the goal of your website happens to be.

Let’s start by first tackling these two marketing must-knows: 


  1. Defining your brand

  2. Understanding your value proposition

 

Without walking these crucial first steps towards understanding who you are and why potential customers should choose you, you’ll not only create website content that’s half-baked, you’ll reap a disastrous online presence in the future.

 

What I mean by ‘content’

When referring to ‘copy’, ‘copywriting’ or ‘content’ I am mostly talking about what a freelance copywriter or website content writer does – writing the WORDS for a website.

 

However, later in this article, I will touch upon adding elements such as images and charts (also deemed content), and how they aid search engine optimisation (SEO) and user engagement. 


 

Define your brand identity

Your brand ID is essentially your organisation’s character, its personality. It’s how you want the world to perceive you. Its foundation should be built on your core values, vision, mission… your culture, and the way you treat your customers – or anyone for that matter. Your logo and supporting graphical marketing assets are the visual representation of that character.

Woman sitting at laptop, thinking about branding

Why is defining your brand important?

Because if you don’t know who you are, you can’t expect potential customers to put their trust in you, remember you, or even recommend your products or services. They simply won’t know what you’re about.

 

Know your audience

Much of how you want the world to see you will be directly linked to what you do, and who you do it for. For example, if you are selling financial advice to Gen X, you probably won’t want to come across as quirky or too jovial. However, if Gen Z is your target audience, those characteristics, in the right context, might be just the ticket. That’s why it’s vital to know and fully understand your target market to begin with.

 

Ask yourself these five questions to pull your brand’s character into focus:

 

  1. Who are my customers?

  2. What personality traits would my customers expect from me?

  3. What added characteristic do I need to stand out without sabotaging my brand?

  4. What personality traits do I admire in others?

  5. What are my four core values and organisation’s culture?

 

Whatever you decide to be, remain true to it. Remember, there are plenty of review sites out there—you’ll soon be caught out if you say one thing but do another (unless that’s exceeding expectations). It’s called a BRAND PROMISE.

 

Understand your value proposition (VP)


Value proposition questions

Your value proposition is your reason for why people should buy from you.

It’s your promise to your intended customers about the value and benefits your brand offers.


Why is it important?

Because not knowing or understanding what your VP is, will lead to a ‘scattergun’ approach to your marketing. You’ll have little-to-no direction, and your ROI will always underperform.

 




Load three unique selling points (USPs) into your armoury

Think of the three things that make you special. DON’T SAY: “We provide great customer service.” That’s what your customers should be saying in their reviews about you. Those same reviews can also be placed strategically throughout your site.

 

Five questions to ask yourself when defining your value proposition

 

  1. What problem am I solving for my customers?

  2. Who is my target audience?

  3. What benefits do I offer?

  4. How do I differ from the competition/my USPs?

  5. Why should potential customers believe my claims?

 

By taking the time to define your brand and value proposition, you can write copy that aligns directly to your audience's needs and desires, driving conversions and building long-lasting relationships.

 

Decide your brand’s tone of voice (TOV)

Your brand’s tone of voice refers to the way you speak to your intended audience and should align with its character. According to what you do, and how you want to be perceived, there are many different styles you could choose from: humorous, quirky, serious, chatty, intellectual, pragmatic… you get the idea.


man shouting to denote tone of voice

Why is it important?

Because it ensures consistency across all marketing touchpoints and provides a familiar voice that reminds and reassures your audience of your value.


A well-defined tone will instil trust, loyalty, and clarity in your offer.

 



Five questions to ask yourself when deciding which tone of voice to use:

 

  1. How does my offer currently fit within the marketplace?

  2. What type of customer needs my offer?

  3. How does my most successful competitor speak to its audience?

  4. How can I sound better than my competition?

  5. What is my brand’s four most important values?

 

Remember, your content and its graphical representation must work harmoniously together. A mishmash of styles will confuse the reader and prevent sales. Be consistent.

 

Plan your website’s content / the pages you need

Deciding how many, and which pages to add to your website can be influenced by a number of factors: stylistic choice, budget, necessity, and time restraints, to name a few.


website sitemap

Here are some of the pages you might want to consider for your site.

This menu/site map is typical of B2B (business to business) websites.


  • Homepage

  • About

    • Mission, vision, values

  • Meet the team

  • Services summary page

    • Services 1

    • Services 2

    • Services 3

    • Services 4

  • FAQ (Frequently asked questions)

  • Case studies summary page

    • Case study 1

    • Case study 2

    • Case study 3

  • Process

  • News / blog

  • Contact

 

You need to decide what’s important, what’s a ‘nice to have’, and what’s completely unnecessary.

As a website copywriter, I’ve written many sites that began with just the basics: homepage, about, summary of services, and contact page. You can always add more pages later, as and when budget or opportunity permits.

 

Things to consider when deciding your website's navigation:


  • If you provide one, simple service or offer, could they be summarised on one page?

  • What are the essential things your site visitor needs to know in order to make an informed decision about contacting you?

  • Would an FAQ page be helpful to the reader?

  • Are high search engine rankings important to you? If so, more content presents more opportunities to be found.

  • Is an about page necessary... could this section be summarised on the homepage?

  • How many services do you have… could they be summarised on one page?

  • Do you offer any tools or valuable information that could be downloaded from your site?

  • Do you want to talk about your mission, vision, and values?


Keep things simple; focus on the needs of the reader. Look at your competitors’ websites for ideas and inspiration. How could you make yours better?

 

Write your content with purpose and value

WIFM is a marketing rule and acronym which focusses squarely on the needs of the reader. It stands for ‘What’s in it for me?

 

When deciding on the purpose of any page, and the value it will offer the reader, that acronym should be front and centre of your mind. Each reader suffers from a ‘pain point’ that holds them back from taking action. You need to give them what they need to overcome that pain.

 

Depending on the type of content you’re publishing, you could approach this in several different ways. Here are some examples:

 

Main menu pages

Home, about, services, case studies… the purpose of these pages is generally to inform the reader of your offer, reassure them of your credentials, and provide a watertight case for why they should make an enquiry.

 

The value these pages provide hinges on how well they convey the benefits of your offer, what pain points they strike a chord with, and whether the overall user experience (UX) has been easy to digest and engage with. Make the buying process a simple and easy journey.

 


Articles

A good article will influence, educate, reflect your expertise, and reinforce trust with the reader. Articles enable opportunity to explain the nuances of what you do, and address common issues that resonate with your audience. Think of your most commonly asked questions, then write your articles around them, being sure to provide more detail and insights than your competitors’ articles – this is called the ‘sky scraper’ technique.  

 

Pick topical subjects that you know customers are genuinely interested in, and then give your take on them, always remaining ‘on brand’. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo or give an unexpected viewpoint; it makes for interesting reading.

 

 

Case studies

‘Show, don’t tell’ – a famous copywriting mantra. And that’s what case studies allow you to do. They provide an opportunity for you to highlight real-world examples of how your offer helped other customers.

 

A good case study will clearly explain a problem that aligns with the reader, and show how you not only solved it, but how you went the extra mile to deliver value and a level of service that went way beyond the customer’s expectation. This will hammer-home the ‘benefit’ of your value proposition and build more trust from the reader, providing a significantly increased chance of you winning that all-important enquiry.

 

Your viewpoint should always be that of the reader. Put their needs first. Forget about your own.

 

Make your website content skimmable

Assume that your readers are too busy to take everything in. They want their questions or queries addressed quickly, and they want to know they’ve landed in the right place within seconds of hitting your website. 


woman reading laying in hammock - skimmable content

Good writing alone won’t hit the spot. Your content has to look good. Don’t clutter it with dancing graphics or nonsensical imagery.

 

  • Use plenty of headings Use headings to break content up into easy-to-digest sections. Aim for one heading for every 100 – 200 words of body copy. ‘Sign post’ content using sub-headings, bullet points, quotes, and numbered lists.

  • Be concise Avoid using waffle or fluff in your writing. You’ll bore the reader and get that back button hit quicker than a carpenter’s nail. Plan your messages carefully and get to the point.

  • Make it easy on the eye Whole slabs of copy scream ‘don’t look at me’. Complement your heading structure using plenty of paragraphs to slice up the content and allow lots of white space for readability.

  • Be bold Use highlighted and bold text to speed up reading time and emphasise key messages.


  • Add images, charts, and graphs Graphics and imagery can convey information much more effectively than words alone. Don’t use cliched stock photography or amateurish info graphics.


Making your content skimmable is about catering for the need to digest content quickly and effectively. It is also the necessary structure that keeps readers engaged and focussed.

 

Get your content found (on-page SEO)

We’ve talked about the importance of value and purpose in content. Well, this is exactly what Google looks for when deciding which of your web pages to rank highly. In fact, they have an acronym for it: E-A-T. Stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.


on-page seo nuts and bolts

A search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy would normally include many elements, such as external link building and online PR. This is known as ‘off-page’ optimisation.

However, giving your content the best chance to rank starts with good writing and adhering to a few ‘on page’ optimisation principles. And yes, content with no backlinks or other off-page influences can still rank #1 in search engines, if done right.

 

Essentials for on-page optimisation and achieving high search rankings:

 

  • Keyword research When deciding which keywords and phrases to use, think ‘user intent’.

Are they looking for a solution, a service, or an answer to a question?

This FREE keyword research tool from Ahrefs will make the task way easier.


  • Keyword placement Don’t stuff your content with keywords. If it is well written, Google will work out your intended phrases. Add your keywords to your main h1 heading, and related words/phrases to subsequent headings. Mention your main phrase again in the first one or two paragraphs of the text. Focus on a maximum of two phrases per page.


  • Heading structure Tell search engines the hierarchy of your content. Attribute a tag to each heading: mark the first heading an <h1>. Second, or sub-heading, an <h2>. Subsequent headings can go as low as <h6>. Add these via your site’s content management system.

 

  • Meta data (title tag and meta description) The text that comes up in Google search results pages:Include your key phrase/s in the Title tag. Maximum 60 characters.Include them in the meta description and provide a strong call to action. Maximum 160 characters.


  • Images, graphics, graphs Add alt tags to images and graphics to explain what they represent. Include your key phrase if relevant to the image.

 

  • Internal linking Link content within your website using relevant ‘anchor’ text. This is the text that’s underlined in the link. For example: If you have a website promoting dog walking services in London, and you have an article about walking a certain weight of dog, you can place a link in its body copy, linking back to the homepage with the anchor text ‘dog walking london’. This sends a strong signal to Google about the key phrase you want your homepage to rank for. Use this strategy across the entirety of your site for better search rankings.

 

  • URL naming Include the keywords or description of the page in your page URLs. Example: www.jimmorrissey.co.uk/website-content-services.


 

How to write your Homepage

Your homepage is the main shop window to your offer. This page has to shine brightly and speedily dictate who you are, what you do, and your important value proposition. It needs to deliver ‘the’ compelling reason why visitors must take positive action.


homepage shop window

What you need to consider:

 

  • You’ve got three seconds The banner at the top of the homepage is called the hero. Don’t waste this valuable piece of real estate. It’s where the reader decides whether to hang around or hit the back button. Use it to present a solid message that clearly describes what you do, the problem you solve, and the action you want the reader to take. You have just a few seconds to make an impact and compel the visitor to continue reading.


  • Decide your call to action What is the fastest route to making the sale? Enquiry form, telephone call, newsletter subscription? You don’t want to be pushy, but you do need to guide the reader to a logical conclusion – one that will serve the purpose of making a sale.

 

  • Short or long homepage copy? Longer copy is better for SEO and overcoming multiple reader objections. But shorter copy can get to the point sooner and stylistically make you appear slicker. It’s a balancing act that needs to be influenced by your desired outcomes. Aim for between 400 – 800 words.

 

  • Choose your homepage’s keywords Focus on the key phrase that’s most relevant to selling your service and driven by user intent. Include it in your main heading, body copy, title tags, and images.

 

  • Use testimonial snippets Third-party testimonials are a great way to add a new voice to the conversation. Create a scrolling section towards the end of your page that showcases your best reviews.  


Keep things polished and looking professional. Use silos to aid easy navigation to other pages such as services, processes, or case studies.

 

How to write your About Us page

The About page provides an opportunity to tell more of your story, giving the reader a better sense of who you are, your values, and the mission that drives you.

You can go as short as a 250-word summary or a comprehensive bio of up to 1000 words.


laptop with about us text
  • Add your mission statement Use your hero banner (at the top of the page) to display a powerful message about your mission and purpose. Expand upon it in the first paragraph of your body copy and state when and why you were first established.

 

  • Never forget your value proposition Your VP is at the heart of everything you do. Make it clear who you are helping and the main benefits your service offers.

 

  • Tell them your values and vision Your organisation is full of vision, both for where you want to be and how you see the industry you represent. Let the reader know how you see the world. Show them how much you care about doing the right thing.

 

  • Your story / timeline Telling your story and history paints a tangible picture in the reader’s mind. You are providing important knowledge about the pedigree of your organisation. A detailed timeline shows, at a glance, that you are an established and trustworthy organisation.


  • Meet the team It’s always good to show the faces of the people your customers will be dealing with. Provide mini bios (up to 100 words) of your customer-facing team.

 

The About Us page is likely to be the third most visited page on your website.

It’s your chance to further pique the reader’s interest, develop conviction, and edge them further towards taking the desired action.


 

How to write your Case Study pages

Your customers, although unique, generally fit into one of three or four groups. Therefore, think of the three most common and successful – yet differing – customer service scenarios you have experienced. Use each one to build a case study appropriate for each individual group.


"To entice the reader into making an enquiry, you need to emotionally align their personal circumstance with the problem you’re solving."
  • Introduce the client Say what your client does, their size or turnover, and the industry they serve. You want to create a sense of camaraderie and empathy with the reader.

 

  • Clearly outline the problem Explain the problem from the client’s point of view. How did it affect them? What were they losing as a result of enduring the problem? What was their temporary fix or catalyst for getting outside help?


  • Describe HOW you decided on a solution / WHY it was the best one Your chance to outline your process for problem-solving. Make this sound as simple as possible. Potential clients want ‘easy’ fixes that won’t cause them to have to think too much.

 

  • Outline the challenges you faced in its implementation / how you overcame them Every project has its own unique set of challenges. It’s how you deal with them that sets you apart from your competition. Spin negative and difficult aspects of a job into positive and enthusiastic outcomes.


  • Include a quote / testimonial from the customer Nothing gives off a signal to ‘trust and buy’, better than a third-party testimonial. An actual customer quote could be the perfect way to outline the problem to begin with. Be creative with how you add your clients’ voice. Bring your case studies to life.

 

  • How you went the extra mile What did you do for your customer that, in your opinion, none of your competitors would have done? What was that extra nugget of value you gave that made the client fall in love with you? Use this tactic to arouse desire for your service.

 

  • The outcome This is the payoff! Highlight the financial reward, the time saved, the speed at which the client achieved an ROI. Whatever the resulting benefit, be bold when talking about it. Curate an outcome that the reader can see themselves experiencing.

 

Case studies show proof of the purpose, benefit, and value of your work. They highlight how adaptable, resilient, and creative you are. Above all, they cement reader peace-of-mind.


 

How to write your Service pages

A service page should provide a clear demonstration of the value it provides and explain how it will easily solve the prospect’s problem. Clicks to these pages are a strong indication of interest in your offer, so it’s imperative that you make it count – their next step could be an enquiry.


  • How many service pages to write If you have just one or two simple services, they could probably be summarised on one page. If you offer multiple services, ideally you should dedicate a page to each one, also better for SEO. Typically, an individual service page will contain 250 – 350 words.

 

  • Outline the service and the problem you solve Just say what the service is; don’t use ambiguous terminology. Succinctly describe the problem your service solves and how you solve it.

 

  • Address customer’s pain points This refers to anything that could create an obstacle for them to contact you. Before doing this, it’s wise to speak to existing customers to get a feel for what holds them back from doing business. This could be time or cost issues, not getting the right support, or even a lack of professionalism.


  • Highlight the benefit of using you Will your service save money, time… logistical hassle? Remember to use your USPs. Look at your competitors’ pages and see how you can one-up them.

 

  • Show proof This is the perfect time to link to your case studies or sprinkle the page with testimonials.

 

  • Call them to action Include a strong CTA. Use words like ‘FREE discovery’ call. Make the process easy and fluid.

 

Don’t hold back on these pages. Generally, answer questions and give reasons why your service will be a good fit.


 

How to write your Contact page

It’s so easy to just throw in an enquiry submission form and be done with it. But this is your last chance to evoke conviction in the reader and warm them up further. You want your website to do 50% of the selling work for you – that’s what it’s there for.

 

  • Keep it on brand Use your tone of voice consistently and be enthusiastic about solving the reader’s problem.

 

  • Other ways to contact you Include all of your social media platforms and other ways to contact you. Consider getting a WhatsApp Business account. Younger generations see using email as old-fashioned. They don’t even like picking up the phone. Be sure of your target market and cater to their preferences.

 

  • Include a download Is there a document or some kind of value they could get before making contact? Perhaps a document that outlines some questions for them to think about.

 

  • Keep it simple Don’t induce reader fatigue. Keep word count to a minimum – around 100 words.

 

  • Add a drop-down If your services are particularly comprehensive or varied, it could be a good idea to include things such as the industry they operate in, the type of budget they have, and when they need the service.

 

  • Where did they hear about you? If you’re spending money on multiple marketing channels, it is essential that you know how effectively each of them performs. Add a drop-down detailing each one – Google, referral, social platforms, or any specific campaigns you’ve executed.

 

If the visitor has landed on your Contact page, you’re almost there. Give them that extra reason to submit an enquiry.


 

Using images, graphics, and graphs (also great for SEO)

A lot of words, no matter how well they’ve been written or presented, can lead to reader fatigue. Make things more interesting using visuals.

 

  • Use ALT tags Alt tags are the words that display when you hover over an image. You must describe what is in the image, ideally including your primary/secondary keywords in this tag. Images can then be displayed in Google image search results and also improve your on-page SEO and ranking.

 

  • You MUST get permission Don’t take a chance with using an image you don’t own or have permission to use. I know of three cases where the publisher was charged between £950–£4,000 for unauthorised use. There is no way around it. They’ll have you bang to rights.

 

  • Create your own graphics You don’t have to be a pro graphic designer to create meaningful imagery and graphics. Take a look at Canva. They have a free plan, and their platform is intuitive and easy to use.

 

  • Show them the data Charts are another way of quickly communicating important information. They can be used specifically to show types of customers, revenue growth, percentages… all manner of things. Here is a free pie chart creator tool from Meta Chart.

 

Images make the user experience better, aid SEO, and brightens up content.

Put in the extra time and make your articles shine.

 

 

 

Analysing content performance

You’ve done all that hard work writing your content, you’ve published it, but is it working?

A measure of your content’s effectiveness depends on its intended purpose. It could be amazing, but if it doesn’t have a high enough search engine ranking to attract people to it, or other means of getting prospects to land on it, it’ll be meaningless. You need the data.

analytics - onpage optimisation

 

  • Is it ranking? The quickest way to see if your content is ranking for its chosen keywords is to search for it yourself. You can also use Ahrefs’ rank checker tool.

 

  • Has it even been indexed? It can take a while for search engines to index content, so it’s worth using Google Search Console to manually submit your URL.

 

  • How long are people sticking around for? Use Google Analytics to get metrics on bounce rates and session times. Microsoft Clarity is brilliant at showing exactly what a visitor did on your site and includes detailed heatmaps and session videos.

 

I hope you have found this article useful. Naturally, every element could be expanded upon much more, but those are articles for another day.

 

If you have any questions, insights, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. I’m always learning, so I invite you to impart your knowledge. And hey, if you want me to just write the content for you, I’d be very happy to do that too.

 

Call 07770 98880 or use the contact form. I’m looking forward to speaking with you.

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