How to write winning website content | The 3 strategic steps

It’s no secret that your website is critical to your business success. And once browsers touch down on your online real estate, you literally have a split second to turn them from strangers into paying customers.

First impressions count and the same goes for your website.

I caught up with strategic copywriter, Nadine Nethery to tap into her firsthand insights that can take the overwhelm out of writing your website content. Over the years, she’s given 100+ women-led brands globally the strategy and words to nurture genuine connections, drive sales and celebrate loyalty.

Nadine, let’s begin with what actually makes a successful website:

Your website is the workhorse of your business.

Not only does it need to please Google so you can be found online, it also needs to make it super easy for browsers to find the information they’re looking for. All while building an emotional connection with your dream customers. No pressure, right?

So how do we best approach writing our website so it ticks all the boxes?

I always break down creating websites into 3 very strategic steps:

1. The journey map
2. Search engine optimisation
3. Anatomy & messaging

Approaching the process strategically will save you countless hours of time in the long run and make sure that your website is actually serving a purpose: getting you sales.

Too often I see small business owners skip straight to the writing bit without laying the foundations first. And it’s the foundations that will actually get you found online and lead to a website that flows with ease.

Now that we’ve covered the 3 important phases, do you want to tell us about the first one, the journey map? What is it and why is it so important?

A journey map defines the structure of your website. It takes a closer look at each page, where it fits within the bigger picture and how it supports browsers to move through your website without roadblocks or too many clicks.

Taking the time to define a journey map BEFORE you start writing your content will not only make it much easier to build, it also means you send traffic to a website that’s got your audience in mind. And that’s what will ultimately get the sale across the line.

Now let’s talk about the mysterious topic of search engine optimisation. Is it really as scary as it sounds?

Far from it. Once you’ve got your head around a few basics, it all comes down to sticking to them consistently.

I like to refer to SEO as the complex blend of ALL THE THINGS that Google considers critical for a standout user experience.

Some of the things that Google rewards with high rankings are:

• Quick site speed (so compress your images and minimise code or plugins)
• Mobile optimisation (so make sure your website works well on mobile devices)
• 1 specific keyword per page (so don’t use the same one across your entire website)
• Using keywords in the right spots (your page title, body text, image names, meta descriptions)
• Backlinks from other websites (so get your name out there through PR and collaborations)

Search engine optimisation is a long game and ultimately never ends, but if you can build your website with SEO in mind right from the start, then you’ll be rewarded with organic traffic as soon as you launch.

Alright, now we’ve drawn a journey map and we have identified 1 keyword per page. What comes next?

Now we’ll actually get stuck into writing our website content.

What’s important here is to keep in mind that every word on your website is there for 1 of 3 reasons:

• To drive action
• To build a connection
• To give information

Ultimately, you want to attract YOUR people and send everyone else to the competition.

Some of the must-have inclusions that help you stand out from the crowd are your values and your unique take on business. Why did you start your business? What are you trying to impact beyond the profit?

Your audience is craving an emotional connection that goes deeper than your service or product. Help them self-identify whether you are uniquely positioned to deliver the transformation they’re hoping for.

How can you do that? Infuse personality wherever possible and show up authentically. It’s authenticity that will win you loyal brand fans, CV-style qualifications or achievements.

Can you share any practical tips to help small business owners turn the bigger vision for their copy into words that drive sales?

For sure.

Online readers love to skim-read. So stay clear of ‘walls of text’ and split the various ideas into strong visual sections. Finish them off with strong headings, clear formatting and bullet lists, and even the laziest skim-reader will be able to follow your train of thought.

I also recommend sticking to clear over clever when it comes to button copy. Each call to action needs to give a clear picture of what’s on the other side of the button.

And, this one’s a biggie, keep your brand messaging consistent. Your audience needs to get a crystal clear picture of your brand whether they’re reading a social media post, opening your emails or browsing your website. Take the time to define how you want to show up in general before you get stuck into writing.

 WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STRATEGIC WEBSITE COPYWRITING?

Watch Nadine’s Website Launch Masterclass, the free masterclass to give you access to all the practical tools and strategies Nadine uses on her website client projects.

You can also follow Nadine on Instagram @candocontent or check out her website www.candocontent.com.