Attempting to write everything from scratch can be daunting. So let’s split it into two smaller steps. First, what to say. Then, how to say it.

For ‘what to say’, just jot down a bunch of bullet points covering information you could include, without worrying about writing style.

Unsure what types of information to include? Try going off these common headings:

• The challenge (What problem you solve for your customers)
• How I can help (What you do)
• Products/Services (What people can buy from you)
• How it works (What it’s like to work with you – the process or steps)
• Clients (Who you work with)
• Testimonials/Quotes (People/companies you’ve worked with, and nice things they’ve said)

Holly also lists some good questions to ask yourself in her article, ‘How to tell your story on your website’.

Collating before creating means that when you come to step two, you’re not having to think about the content or structure, you’re just expanding bullet points into sentences. Suddenly, writing seems much more manageable.

For tips on ‘How to say it’, read on.

While you may do your writing in Word (I do), don’t feel you have to write an essay, with lots of long paragraphs. Instead, think in terms of short sections, each with a heading, then a few sentences underneath.

While things change quickly online, at the time of writing, Apple’s homepage is a good example of this (though their tone and products/services will differ from yours).

If some of your information suits being in a list (e.g. your clients or services), then by all means keep it as bullet points, icons or logos. This will break up blocks of text and make it easier for busy people to skim.

There’s an old story (origins unknown), about a director of a musical who sees their choreographer sitting looking stumped, while the dancers await instructions. When approached, the choreographer says that they don’t know how to start the big dance routine.

The director says to just get the dancers doing something – anything – as it will give the director something to change later.

It’s the same with your website. It needn’t be perfect, just get some words down. Once you have something to look at, it’ll be easier to tell what works and what needs changing.

When promoting your business, it’s tempting to shift into ‘business mode’ and start spouting long words, jargon, or salesy hype. But there’s no need – it’s much better to be clear.

In fact, trying too hard can backfire. I once heard someone remark, after being given a flashy, jargon-filled brochure: “That all sounds very impressive … but what do you actually do?”

‘Keep it simple’ is classic advice for a reason.

So, how do you describe what you do? Well, let’s start with a super-simple sentence. Try completing the following:

I help [who you work with] to [what you do for them], so they can [result of working with you].

So, for instance, if you were a life coach for parents, you could say:

I help busy parents to balance work and home life so they can feel more relaxed.

Once you have a sentence you like, you can put it near the top of your homepage, so visitors quickly get a sense of what you offer. It also comes in handy when networking as a succinct introduction.

If you want, you can slightly rejig the sentence by turning the ‘so they can’ bit into your headline (since it’s based around the benefit of your product/service), with the rest of the sentence below, like this:

Become a more relaxed parent.

I help busy people balance work and home life.

And voila, you’ve got a clear and simple start to your site.

The biggest difference between copywriting and other writing is the focus – it’s all about your customers. So, if you find your writing is full of ‘I do this…’ or ‘I’m an expert in that’, then try to flip it to talking about ‘you’ (i.e. your customer). Talk about the problems they face, what they want, and how you can help them get it. Using ‘you’ may feel weird at first but it’s much more engaging. No prizes for guessing what the first word of this article is!

In case you’re wondering where to put your biography or other personal information, you can always add it to your ‘About’ page. As well as your credentials, consider including a sentence about your family, pets or other passions, as people like working with individuals.

For example, when not creating copy, I create illusions as a magician. While it’s not directly relevant to the work I do, it does help me stand out from other copywriters.

If you’ve tried all these tips and you still feel stuck, or the process feels like pulling teeth, then consider reaching out to a professional. Share where you’re at with a business coach, web designer, copywriter or copy editor. They can often take your raw information, or rough draft, and show you how to improve it.

Like many things in life, starting is half the battle. Hopefully this article has given you the techniques you need to crack on with your copy and get it sorted. Good luck!