The ABC of website copy: how to make your site stand out!

Today you’re going to find out how to do justice to your business. You’re going to find out how to describe your business in a way no other business – no other competitor – can. You’re going to learn powerful ways to differentiate yourself by learning how to write more specific, meaningful website copy. You can do this, even if you’re not a writer,

Have you ever read about a service that’s “the best in town”?

Does the business use “state-of-the-art equipment”?

And how about “great customer service”?

These terms are flung around a lot online.

In the past few years, I’ve written website content for at least 10 mechanics, 5 gardeners, and 3 remedial massage therapists.

What they offer may differ slightly, but the gist of it is similar.

Mechanics usually offer major and minor servicing, logbook servicing, wheel and tire alignment, minor repairs. They may or may not offer car loans.

Gardeners usually offer hedging and pruning, lawn mowing, general maintenance, and body corporate services if they have more staff on board.

Remedial massage therapists typically focus on relieving specific complaints, rather than giving a relaxing, full-body massage as spas do.

Could each business say they’re the “best in town”?

Could each mechanic say they use “state of the art equipment”?

Could each business say they have “great customer service”?

Absolutely.

And that would be unhelpful to us as prospects. It would also be an injustice to each business.

Every business is unique so your website should be too

You see, every business is unique. YOUR business is unique. Sure, you may be in the same industry offering the same service as your 50 competitors. But there’s a reason why your customers choose YOU.

So stop telling customers on your website that you’re the best in town, you’ve got great customers service, have state of the art equipment – or <insert generic, completely unhelpful line here>.

Many of us business owners think people buy because of the price. And yes, that’s important. But it’s not the only thing they consider when buying. They care about the inconvenience, stress, and hassle of going back if a job isn’t done right the first time. They care about their time. They care about the thing they’re handing over to you. They care about knowing exactly who is going to help them.

These often matter more than price. And when you share meaningful website copy, you let them know how you can make a difference to them in other ways that matter.

You can do this, even if you’re not a writer.

Here’s how:

Focus on people:

Who is providing the service? and

Who has received the service and what do they think about it?

What this does is tell prospects how things are done in your business in a credible, real way by filling a need we all have – to connect with each other.

Focus on these 2 groups of people

The difference between one business and another is the people. You can replicate products and services. But the people are different in each business.

On your website, talk about:

Your team (yourself, your suppliers) and…
your customers.

How to talk about your team

Give your business a human face. People don’t do business with a business. They do business with people they like.

Help prospects decide if they relate to the people in your business. Help us decide if we like your people. As a solo business owner, you could share details about yourself. You can also introduce prospects to your suppliers if appropriate.

Share details about your people such as:

Their name and profile photo
Their role
Their specialization or interest
Their inspiration
Their purpose
Their qualifications
Family
Hobbies

Here are real examples of how to talk about you – and if relevant, your suppliers:

Example 1

“Hi, I’m Sam Burrone, Founder and Design Lead at Sam Burrone Design.

People often ask me what inspires my designs. How do I come up with the ideas? I just live it everyday. I live and breathe design.

I don’t go to work and sit there in front of my computer thinking about how to create something.

The design ideas gather in my mind when I’m away from the desk. From clothes. Nature. Houses. Conference rooms.

While I’m taking my family out for dinner… it’s all around me. Where you see a room with chairs, walls, and good food – I’m also seeing how the light fittings blend in really well with the wall pattern. And how the texture and colour of the carpet add ambience to the room.

Where you see a wall of graffiti, I notice what colours work together, and how the fonts add energy and attitude to the picture. I just love design in general. Design possibilities are endless. I begin to narrow it down once I’ve had a good chat to understand you, your business vision, and what you want. Through colour, style, graphics, and font, I’ll show you how good design can make an impression. And stay timeless.

By tuning in to what’s in your customer’s head, your brand can also make its way into their hearts. Your design must reflect you, with your customers in mind. That’s what makes a good, timeless, unique design.

With over 20 years creating the branding and corporate image of organisations large and small, and a reputation for unique and insightful design work, you can trust Sam Burrone Design with your professional business image.”

Example 2

“At Baz and Shaz, we have so many wonderful suppliers, many of which have been dispensing their delicious delicacies to us for years. They’re such a lovely bunch we knew you’d also like to get to know them!

First off the bat is Jon from 2Die4 Live foods. They knock up the most delectable treats of the activated variety, including seeds, muesli, snacks and specialising in nearly every nut under the sun! We asked Jon how 2Die4 first came to be.

Back in 2003, Jon’s friend Clive had just returned to Australia after spending 15 years living in India. He wasn’t sure what to do job-wise when he got home, but knew he wanted to do something worthwhile, something that genuinely benefited people.

He read the book “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon, and was inspired to begin experimenting with preparing nuts so that their nutrients could be most readily absorbed. Jon happily played the role of guinea pig, sampling each of Clive’s attempts as he refined the science of nutritious nut creation.

16 years on, 2Die4 Live Foods is a thriving business, so we asked Jon if he has any secrets to success. “If your staff are happy, everything works well”, says Jon. He makes looking after his 13 local employees his top priority, as he says that ensures they want to look after the business well. One of the ways he does this is by allowing them to work flexible hours. Pretty insightful, we think!”

Key takeaway: Share the people part of your business by talking about your people.

How to talk about your customers

There are a couple of easy ways to share your business when it comes to talking about your customers:

Testimonials

Case studies

Case studies and testimonials give prospects an idea of what they can expect from you. It tells them how you’ve helped people with needs like theirs. It reduces the risk for them. You see, when the purchase is important enough, or expensive – people would rather spend money and time on people they trust than risk having a bad experience they’ll regret.

That’s why referrals are so powerful. That’s why we’re drawn to the little stars and comments on

Facebook reviews and Google reviews – these are often the first places we check even before we head to a website.

TESTIMONIALS

As businesses, we can write anything we want on our website – true or false. Prospects know this. So there’s a limit to how much we can toot our own horn before it turns them off.

A better way is to show we’re a legit business with real, happy customers is to share their words through testimonials. Social proof is powerful.

You see, when your prospects read casual comments from real people who’ve used a service, it removes the uncertainty of a purchase.

Not just that. Specific comments tell prospects your business is real. Specific comments tell businesses how a service is delivered. Or what a product is like. Prospects feel reassured and confident to give a business a shot when they read comments that describe their problem, mention the name of who has helped them, what they did for them, or how it was done.

Real testimonial example 1

“Garden Cleanup removed a large tree for us and we were delighted with the service they provided. They were great at communicating with us, they scheduled the job according to our requirements and the workmen were very skilled and neat. We will be happy to work with them again in the future.”

Real testimonial example 2

“I had a few treatments for a sore shoulder and headaches here with John and I can honestly say I have not felt this great in years. My GP just blamed it all on stress and anxiety. Thank you very much. I highly recommended.”

Real testimonial example 3

“Jake was just terrific, so thorough and a job well done! We love our new window and will be using Jake again soon… What an all rounder – takes away rubbish too and always leaves the property spotless. THANKS!”

How to add testimonials to your website

Get your developer to add your Google or Facebook testimonials as a feed on your website OR add them to your service page copy.

BONUS WRITING TIP: Testimonials are also a wonderful way to switch from using generic copy that says nothing to your customer – to specific copy that ‘speaks’ to them on your service pages.

For instance, rather than saying “We provide great customer service”, use phrases from testimonials:

“You can expect our skilled workmen to completely remove your tree AND leave your yard neat when they leave.”

“If your sore shoulder and headaches have been put down on stress and anxiety, but you’re sure there’s more to it, come and see us.”

CASE STUDIES

Another great way to share how you’ve helped customers is through sharing case studies on your website.

Case study example 1

Instead of saying “We’re a one-stop-shop” as a mechanic, list the products and services you offer. Include photos of your place, people, and products.

Share a case study of how your customer dropped his car in for a minor service. For example:

Jim needed his car for work, so you gave him a loan car for the day. His tires were worn out so you changed and re-aligned them. Jim’s air-conditioning was blowing out hot air, so you found the issue and sealed the hose connection to prevent the refrigerant from leaking.

Case study example 2

Here’s an example for a virtual CFO service:

Business name: Quik Recruitment

Industry / what they do: Recruitment services

Turnover: $2-4M

Scope of work

Establishment of finance function
Best practices implemented to support client service provision
Cost reporting and allocation across customer base
Cashflow reporting and forecasting
Key weekly business reporting

Outcome: Best finance practices implemented for internal and external clients, identification of margin to align with services allocated to clients.

You’ve seen a couple of ways you can share case studies. If you’d like to use a template like the CFO example, here’s a template I’ve created to help you – tweak it to suit your service:

Case study template

Project name:

Location:

Project value: $

Brief summary:

Scope of work:

Work description 1
Work description 2
Work description 3

Project highlights:

Highlight 1
Highlight 2
Highlight 3

Outcome (can include a testimonial too):

(Include photos: up to 3 is fine)

Key takeaway: Share case studies to help people understand what you do – and how you can help them.

Let your prospect decide whether your service is worth a go by telling and showing with unique, personable, real-life customer stories and feedback. Don’t rely on overused, meaningless phrases your competitors use too.

Summary

Many business owners make the mistake of not giving prospects specific details about their business. They rely on generic terms they think sound professional and feel assured these are the right terms to use because other businesses use them.

The problem is, when other businesses are using these same tired phrases, you confuse your prospect. That causes uncertainty – and it’s costing you customers. Show prospects the human side of your business. Help your prospects like you and trust you.

Instead, distinguish your business by sharing a unique aspect of your business: Your people. Doing this will tell prospects the specifics of how things are done in your business. So you can ditch the generic phrases with more specific, meaningful, website copy.

This is how you can draw new customers to you.
This is how you’ll stand out from your competitors.

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