Most B2B website copy has all the personality of that guy at parties who stands too close, talks in a monotone – mainly about himself – and never breaks eye contact.
It’s boring, has that stale-cheese-canapé whiff of failure and is never going to win you sales.
So don’t write it.
In this article, we’re going to look at how to write content for websites in a way that does win sales. Don’t worry. It’s not about being frivolous or cracking mother-in-law jokes. You want to be taken seriously and you want to sell. But it is about putting personality and emotion at the heart of your copy – because whether you sell accounting software or ball bearings, it’s personality and emotion that makes connections and sales.
This post covers core principles on how to write website content. Look out for further articles soon which will drill down on what exactly to put on your home page and about page.
Here’s how to write content for websites using 10 powerful rules.
Are you selling a product or service on this page? Do you want sign-ups for your newsletter. Or do you want leads to get in touch with you to find out more? Write a mission statement for your page clearly outlining what you want to happen – for your reference only – and you’ll stay on track.
Here’s an example. We’re writing this page as informational content to increase our authority among B2B businesses who want to know about writing copy for websites. We’ll link to other similar pages to help increase our rankings in Google search and we’ll include strong calls to action leading to our website content writing services page, to generate leads and sales.
Knowing how to write content for websites is about understanding your audience. What kind of problems are you solving for them? If you can get an idea of what makes them want to curl into a ball in bed and cry, you can write in a way that makes connections. Reddit and Quora are superb resources for getting to know audiences’ thorny challenges, because they are question (problem) and answer (solution) forums.
There’s a self-serving tendency in B2B website copy to dive straight into the glorious magnificence of the company and its products. ‘And lo, we did create a ball bearing and the marketing manager did declare that the ball bearing was good.’
Don’t do this.
In fact, don’t talk about yourself at all at first. Your copy should be about your customer and the problems you researched in point 2. Paint a picture of the crappy day/ life they’re having. What is slowing their processes down and losing them money? Why have similar products that aren’t as good as yours failed?
You know that feeling when you read about a problem and think: ‘Absolutely That’s me! They know!’ This is a hugely powerful way to make a connection. It creates goodwill and commands attention.
If you’re using ‘you’ a lot in your copy, you’re on the right track.
If you want to know how to write content for websites, you have to read, eat and digest this 101 of great copywriting. People don’t care about your product’s features. They care about how it can benefit them.
Feature:
Infra-red frequencies ensure our ticket-reading app processes QR and barcodes in a variety of formats.
Benefit:
Read ticket data instantly and keep your queues moving.
Always, always, always lead with the benefit. It’s the part your customer most cares about because it describes the solution to their problem.
Yes, you’ll need to describe the features. But save it for later. First, start with the problems and show these benefits-led solutions.
Read more about features and benefits in copywriting.
You must make people feel something. So much B2B website copy is written as if it’s trying to inhabit a dystopian void where emotionless, post-human creatures float in space and stare blankly at nothing.
Don’t write to emotionless post-humans. Write to living breathing ones with hearts.
You make connections with people by making them feel something. In fact, let’s be completely honest – you open people’s wallets by making them feel something.
When did you last buy something without feeling an emotion. Relief, that the car will be repaired. Anticipation at the thought of that creamy, guacamole-filled burrito. Excitement at the thought that this app could boost your ROI.
Knowing how to write content for websites is about tapping into these feelings. Fear and frustration. A spark of curiosity. A smile of acknowledgment.
A desire to buy.
We at ACME systems are passionate about and committed to providing our customers with…
This isn’t interesting. It’s borderline evil and must be stopped at all costs.
This is interesting:
Over 6,000 customers have streamlined their systems and increased profits by up to 45% using the ACME app.
It’s got specific numbers, which builds credibility. (By the way, always use numbers if you can. Scan your spreadsheets and records. Look everywhere for them and incorporate them.)
It’s getting straight into the action with a benefit.
It’s triggering emotion. ‘Really, that fact-laden sentence about an app?’ Absolutely. It’s exciting your audience about something they love – success.
The secret of how to write content for websites is this: be interesting.
So be really interesting.
Your reader is a helpless screen addict scrolling from one thing to another on their phone while glancing at a Teams meeting on their laptop.
They’re not up for long-winded paragraphs. They like them chunky. So give them chunky.
Write short paragraphs with strong, attention-grabbing benefits-led headlines. Something they can skip across like a series of stepping stones all the way to your call to action (see below).
If you do this – and avoid the dreaded wall of text – you’ll keep your reader with you.
A simple testimonial or case study is worth a thousand words of pitch-perfect copywriting.
Harsh for copywriters, but true.
At our website marketing agency, one of the first things we ask clients is for all their testimonials, thanks yous and case studies. And then we use them EVERYWHERE.
Why? It’s the problem / solution formula again.
Potential buyer’s problem: ‘I’m kind of liking the sound of this product, but how can I trust it does what it says? I’m feeling alone and mildly scared.’
Buyer’s solution: ‘Those are some super-impressive case studies and testimonials. I feel part of an in-crowd getting all these product benefits. I am secure and inspired.’
Regularly leave votive offerings and burn incense at the altar of testimonials and case studies. Scatter them across your web page. Feel their power.
Loosen up your language and throw out ‘important’ and ‘grown up’ words. Would you ever say ‘facilitates the toasting of a variety of bread-based products’ about your toaster?’ No, you’d say, ‘It’s great for toasting bread, muffins and crumpets.’ Be direct and use short, simple words.
Never write to a faceless person. Instead, write like you’re talking to a customer you know well. Someone you’d share a coffee or drink with and who would laugh you out of town if you spoke to them in stiff business language.
If you want to know how to write content for websites, you must follow this important advice. Really imagine that person as you write. It will work wonders.
We call them CTAs in the industry and we go on about them ad nauseum. It’s because they work.
The principle is this:
People don’t know what to do unless you tell them what to do. So tell them what to do.
A call to action can be a simple button leading to a contact page. (Top tip: put some personality into it. Not ‘Contact us’ but ‘Tell me more’.
Or it can be a set of compelling suggestions/instructions on what to do next.
If our software sounds like a good fit for your business, let’s chat. We can arrange a demonstration and talk you through exactly how it could bring efficiencies to your processes. Zero hard sell. No obligations to buy. Just a catch-up to see if it would work for you. Book a Zoom appointment at the link below.
In this example, we’ve included a benefit, removed potential objections around sleazy sales practices and told our visitor exactly what to do.
If you want to see these 10 points on how to write content for websites in action, take a look at the Coast Copywriting homepage.
Also, look out for our upcoming guides on how to incorporate SEO content into your copy, how to write a home page and how to write an about us page.
Thanks for reading.
Coast Copywriting helps B2B websites get more leads and customers through digital strategies and copywriting. Find out about our website content writer services. You can see digital marketing case studies revealing how we’ve helped clients like you here. Or get in touch now.
Further reading
See the following related posts:
How to Write a Business Website Homepage: a Step-by-Step Guide provides a detailed breakdown of the elements you'll need in a client-winning homepage – and reveals how to write them.
Features and Benefits in Copywriting: What They Are and Why Benefits Matter Most (Apart From When They Don't) digs deep into a fundamental concept in copywriting. Definitely read before you start writing.
Tone of Voice in Copywriting: Here's How I Changed My Approach to Build More Sales For My Clients will give you an insight into how to develop a persuasive voice for your B2B business.
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