IN THIS ARTICLE · 10 PARTS
Many business owners put off their website because of the texts. You do not need to be a writer. You need to answer your customers' questions clearly, in their words. Here is how.
Write for one person
Imagine one typical customer who has just found your site. What do they want to know? Write to that person, as if you were talking to them in your shop. "We fix boilers the same day in Varna" is clearer than "We provide comprehensive heating solutions". Google's guide to helpful content puts it the same way: write for people first, not for search engines [1].
Start with the answer
In a classic study by Nielsen Norman Group, 79% of users scanned every new page and only 16% read word by word [2].
People scan web pages; they do not read them from top to bottom. Put the most important information first:
- What you do.
- Where you do it.
- Who it is for.
- How to get in touch.
Details, history and background come later.
Use your customers' words
Use the words customers use when they call you or search on Google, not your internal terms. If people say "bathroom renovation", do not call it "wet room refurbishment". This also helps Google match your pages to their searches: SEO for a business website: where to start.
Make it easy to scan
Nielsen Norman Group found that concise, scannable and objective text is much easier to use [3], and the W3C's tips for accessible writing also recommend clear headings and short, simple sentences [4].
- short paragraphs of two to four sentences
- clear headings that say what the section is about
- lists for steps, features and options
- bold for the few things that really matter
Be specific
"Fast service" means nothing. "We come within two hours in Plovdiv" means something. Numbers, examples, prices, names and places make text believable.
One page, one goal
Each page should have one main topic and end with one clear next step: call, write, book. Give each service its own page rather than listing everything in one long text.
Answer real questions
Write down the questions customers ask on the phone every week, and answer them on the site, as in our guides for lawyers and accountants or renovation companies: in a FAQ, on the service pages or in articles. These answers save you time and bring in visitors who are already interested.
Good website text sounds like you on a good day: clear, friendly and to the point.
Do not forget the special pages
The "About us" page matters more than people think: what to write on your About us page. And texts work best with real photos: what photos to use on your website.
You do not have to do it alone
When we build a site, we help shape the texts from a short conversation with you. Here is what to prepare before a new website, and how our process works.
References
- Google Search Central. "Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content." developers.google.com
- Nielsen Norman Group. "How Users Read on the Web." nngroup.com
- Nielsen Norman Group. "Concise, SCANNABLE, and Objective: How to Write for the Web." nngroup.com
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. "Writing for Web Accessibility." w3.org
