1. Talk less about yourself and more about the reader.
As the owner of a small business, you have worked incredibly hard to get to where you are right now. You're proud of what you've accomplished and it's only natural to want to showcase those feats on your website - and you should - but you should keep the bragging to a minimum and focus more on what the reader really wants to know.
Think about the reasons people visit your website. Are they hoping to learn about your products and services? Are they interested in your prices? Or are they just checking you out to get an overall feel for your brand? No matter what the reason they're on your website, I can pretty much guarantee that they're not there to swoon over your amazing successes - they're on your site to benefit themselves. They want information, or inspiration, or to read testimonials from your former customers.
So talk a little bit less about what makes you awesome and a little bit more about how your awesomeness can help the reader reach their own goals, whatever they may be.
2. Use concise sentences.
I cannot stress this point enough. Often, people think that using fancy words and big, long sentences is the way to go. In reality, that couldn't be farther from the truth! Speak to your reader in a way that feels conversational and use language that's easy to understand. Nobody wants to need a dictionary just to read your website. Make the material as easy to digest as possible.
3. Provide content that adds value for your reader.
Have you ever known somebody who can talk for hours about literally nothing and you eventually just tune them out? I bet you have. Think about your website content in the same way. Keep the content short, informative, helpful, or even entertaining. Don't provide so many details that your reader gets lost. Your goal is to keep the reader engaged, not scare them away!
4. Describe product benefits instead of product features.
It's fantastic if your shiny new product or service comes with all the bells and whistles, but that's not really what your reader wants to know about. What they DO want to know, is what those shiny bells and whistles can do for them.
Keep this in mind when you're describing what you have to offer. For example: instead of talking about the fancy science behind your new ever-lasting nail polish product, talk about how the buyer will gain time back in their week because they won't have to re-paint their nails as often. This is so much more relatable for customers than a lengthy list of features that can easily be forgotten.
5. Include images.
People are visual by nature. We like to see pretty things. Try to insert relevant images into your content wherever possible. It provides your reader with a mental break from looking at the text on your website and helps them to re-focus once they scroll past the image.
Imagine landing on a website that has no images, no color, no design. It's just a white page covered in text. I'm guessing you wouldn't stay on that site for very long. Be creative and include visuals that compliment your content while adding a little extra pop to the page.
Hungry for more tips and tricks? Be sure to check out my other blog posts if you want to become a copywriting savant!
Ciao for now!
Andrea