What is web design without content?

Writing for your website

When you’re starting a new web design project, at some point you’ll need to sit down and think about content. Daunted? Unsure where to start? Try these tips to kick-start the content creation for your new website design. Be sure to read on to the end to discover the role that we, as web designers, can have in your content creation efforts.

Writing content for your website doesn’t come naturally to all of us. Yet it can’t be ignored. Without the copy that explains who we are and what we do, we won’t have an effective website.

So where do we start? Sometimes we catch ourselves staring at a blank page. Or the blinking, unmoving cursor on screen mocks us. To help unclog the dreaded writer’s block, let’s borrow a fundamental rule from journalism: the five Ws and an H. 

Just before we break this concept down, let’s first consider your writing style. Is your audience primarily highly technical people, knowledgeable in your field? Or are they everyday people from varied backgrounds and with limited insight into what you do? Answer this question and you’ll know what tone to write in. Employ a formal tone for an expert audience. Or for laypeople, go for a more conversational style: write as if you are speaking to them.

Whatever style you settle on, be consistent. As much as possible, use the language that your audience uses. In doing so, you will clearly answer the questions that bring visitors to your website. A viewer left wanting will more likely move on to the next website that better satisfies their curiosities. As an added bonus, using the language of your target audience will strengthen your ability to rank well as these people ask Google to find solutions to their problems.

Five Ws and an H

W #1: WHO

Start with WHO you are as a company. Are you a sole trader with decades of experience? Are you a start-up with an extensive background in your chosen field? Are you an energetic team of people who each bring a specific skill to your business?

The WHO of a company is about people. Introducing the people behind the pixels of your website will help foster a human connection in your visitors. Writing a brief profile for each of your key personnel is known to help build trust and confidence in a company. Be sure to include good quality staff photos as well as links to relevant social pages, e.g. LinkedIn profiles. (Already strong internationally, LinkedIn is building momentum amongst kiwi professionals. A story for another day… suffice to say that we’re advocates of this networking platform for certain people in certain industries).

W #1 also concerns WHO you provide your products or services to. Are you selling to B2B manufacturers? Retails? Families? Make sure you spell this out, even if you link it seems obvious. The words on your page all help to build a clear picture of your offering to Google’s robots as well as to your human visitors.

W #2: WHAT

Explain WHAT you do in detail. This should always be more than simply a bulleted list of your services, or merely uploading a PDF catalogue of your products.

Each new item should have its own header followed by a detailed description of what the product or service is, including what its uses and benefits are.

The WHAT is the most important part of website content creation. In fact, each WHAT can be treated as its own Five Ws and an H exercise. In addition to WHAT a product/service is, consider:

• WHO is this product or service for?
• WHO in your team provides it to your customers?
• WHERE or WHEN it should be utilised
• WHY should someone buy this item? Are there risks in not buying?
• WHY someone should consider your offering over that of a competitor
• HOW does it work?
• HOW does it benefit the end-user?

W #3: WHERE

This one might be a simple paragraph on your Contact page that explains WHERE you do business.

Perhaps you offer professional services, operating out of a building in Auckland’s CBD. Do you offer virtual consultations for customers located across the country, across the ditch or across the seven seas?

Are you in the trades with operations in Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

Or maybe you’re based on Auckland’s North Shore, but will travel to Pukekohe for specific services or under certain conditions.

If you’re an online store, be sure that you detail your shipping fees on your website. This is an often overlooked yet important piece of information. When shopping online, people like to know what they’re in for with regards to shipping costs. Or even if you will in fact ship your products to their location.

In some cases, it may be pertinent to detail the locations that you don’t service.

Whatever the WHERE looks like for your business, ensure you clearly articulate these parameters to your audience.

W #4: WHY

Beyond your personal goals, WHY are you in business? What need or want does your company satisfy? WHY would someone choose to buy from you over a rival business?

In pondering these questions, you may be able to distil into words what it is that makes you different: your USP (unique selling point). It may even inspire a catchy tagline for your business.

Write a statement about what motivates you to do what you do. Write something that explains why people buy from your business. These WHYs can form a compelling paragraph for your home page.

W #5: WHEN

If you’re a lawyer or a web designer, perhaps the answer is simply “Whenever you’re ready.” That being the case, feel free to skip ahead to the next section. For others, the WHEN is an essential component of what they do. Use these examples to stimulate thoughts of whether timing affects your business:

• Horticulture: planting and maintenance is best done at specific times of the year
• Automotive & Machinery: servicing might be scheduled every six or 12 months
• Bookkeeping: specific tasks may be set for weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual attention
• Pest Control: the control of some creepy-crawlies is best done annually, once spring has sprung
• Hygiene: a commercial cleaning service may operate at night once the office building or school is empty

If the WHEN impacts what you do, be sure to educate your audience and therefore set their expectations accordingly.

AND AN H: HOW

There is value in explaining HOW your product or service works its magic. This could include a simple infographic (flowchart), or something much more in-depth. In the context of a website, the HOW could be presented as case studies; success stories of how your products or services have benefited your customers.

Case studies are an excellent way to showcase the HOW. Real-world examples of your business in action can be the difference between making a sale or recording a bounce (when a visitor leaves your website).

Case studies can form the basis of your long-term SEO strategy. There is no better fuel for your SEO engine than unique, high-quality and regular case studies.

Additionally, case studies allow your audience to view your products and services through the prism of like-minded end users. It’s a softer sell, and more powerful than you in isolation extolling the virtues of your business.

Detailing the HOW is not about giving away trade secrets. It’s about building confidence that your solution is the right one for a customer’s particular issue. For more sensitive or valuable information, consider trading it for a visitor’s contact details. Use an email subscription form or login portal in order for a user to access data that you do not want to freely give away.