Ahh – Copy- the other dreaded four letter word.

So you’re getting ready to work with a website designer or DIY your website and panicked when you realised you have to write all the content for the website?

Before I started designing websites. I was clueless about copy.

I’d see these beautiful websites that felt like they were just SPEAKING straight to me and seemed so real and relatable. As I learned about design and branding – I realized that the connecting thread was- copy ( or the text that goes on your website). This is the part of your website that will cement the connection to your site visitors and make them want to choose your business over the competition.

Here are 5 simple rules to make writing copy feel a bit less tangled!

1. Your copy should sound like YOU.

I know this is a bit obvious, but I’ve made the mistake of trying to sound really formal and at the end my website sounds nothing like I would in real life. Your website represents you so you want it to sound as close as possible to how you would if you were speaking to a potential client.

This will also help attract the kind of clients that are excited to work with YOU and know what they are getting before they sign up. Don’t be shy to showcase your personality- you do you ,girl!

2.Don’t worry about talking to everyone.

This is an important one and the biggest mistake I see people make. You need to speak the language that your ideal client would speak so that they can relate to your services.

If you have not yet figured out who your ideal customer is – stop, and figure it out before you start writing a word of copy for your website.

I know it can seem a bit counterintuitive to speak to only one specific kind of customer ( the immediate fear is always, “ but what about all the customer’s Im losing?). Trust me- speaking to only one kind of person will help keep your copy consistent and sound like your brand. Try and use the same words that the customers use to describe their problem when you describe the services you provide.

3. Keep it Simple.

You want it to be simple and easy to understand what you do from first glance. Remember, people that come to your website to use your services are probably doing so because they likely have little to no knowledge of all the advanced terms of the service you offer . Explain what you do and the problem that you solve for your customer in the most easiest to understand way

4. Write your copy before you start designing.

This tip is a game changer. Writing your copy on a blank notepad or word document without the distraction of design ahead of time will help you write clear copy and make it significantly less of a struggle. I’ve also found writing it on a blank sheet will help you build momentum as you write . Then when it comes time to design your site, you can tweak your design to ensure it works with your copy and from there, it’s drag and drop .

5. EDIT , EDIT, EDIT

I know it’s tempting to write long paragraphs about what you do to showcase your expertise but this can be overwhelming to your site visitors. When visitors see a large amount of text, they tend to just skim over or skip it completely. This also makes your design feel very cluttered.

Once you’ve written down all of your copy, go through again and edit out areas that are too detailed or have info that can be relayed once you get on a consultation call.

That’s all I have folks! I hope these tips help you to dive into writing the copy for your own website !