January 23, 2025

How to write and what to include on your small business website

You’ve got your website design sorted, but now comes the tricky part—what do you actually put on it? Here’s your step-by-step guide to writing website content that brings in customers:

1. Start with an attention-grabbing headline and intro text

Your website has seconds to show people they’re in the right place. Skip the “welcome to our website” and get straight to what you do and who you help in the headline and subheadline. When someone’s scanning through Google’s search results and landing on the homepage, they need to instantly understand if you can solve their problem. Think “Affordable plumbing repairs in Bromey, usually same day” instead of “Welcome to Bromley Plumbers.” A vague or boring intro will mean they’ll hit the back button and look elsewhere. Make it easy for your customers.

2. Write clear and easy-to-understand service descriptions

List your services in plain English, using the same words your customers use when talking about their problems. Avoid industry jargon, as your customers won’t understand it. Break down each service into simple bullet points or short paragraphs. For example, instead of “We facilitate business growth through optimized digital solutions,” try “We build websites that help small businesses get more customers online.” Confused customers don’t become paying customers – if people can’t quickly understand what you’re offering, they’ll leave.

To make it even easier, you can break down each service into specific offerings that show exactly what you do. For example, instead of “We provide accounting services,” try “We handle end of year tax returns, monthly payroll, and VAT submissions for businesses in Croydon.

3. Include google-friendly keywords

Keywords are the words and phrases people type into Google when looking for your services. They help Google understand what your business offers so it can show your page to potential customers. For example, if you’re a plumber, these would include phrases like “plumber in Orpington” or “Sidcup plumbers blocked drain”. You should include your keywords in your website content and, ideally, have one page per keyword. Just remember to write naturally – keyword stuffing like “plumber Brighton plumbing Brighton” makes your website sound robotic.

Including keywords in your copy will help more people find your website when they look online for your products and services. If you don’t include keywords in your website, Google won’t know what you do and won’t show your website in its search results. We can research the best terms and phrases for your business as part of our SEO service for small businesses. Our pro tools allow us to see the exact words people use.

4. Lead with benefits and clear outcomes

Don’t just list what you do – explain how it helps your customers. Instead of “we offer bookkeeping services,” try “save 10 hours a week on paperwork. Avoid penalties from HMRC. Never miss a tax deadline.” Show specific results: “helped 50 small businesses in South East London reduce their admin time by 40%.” Without clear benefits, you’re asking customers to figure out the value themselves – and most won’t bother.

If you’re not sure what your benefits are, ask yourself “so what?” after each feature, or use the “…so you can…which means…” formula. For example: “Order your coffee through the app (feature) so it’s ready when you arrive (benefit) meaning you can avoid wasting precious time in the queue (outcome)”.

5. Make your text look scannable and quick to read

Remember, people don’t read websites like they read a book or newspaper. Instead, they scan web pages quickly looking for the info they need. This means your text should be brief and easy on the eye. Avoid big chunks of text—if a reader sees that, they’ll think “I don’t have time to read this” and they’ll hit the back button.

Instead, keep paragraphs short (3-4 lines max) with reasonable lines lengths (50-75 characters) and break up the page with subheadings. Use lists, bullet points and icons. Think about mobile users too – they’re scrolling with their thumbs and need even more white space.

6. Guide your website visitors with the next steps

Include “call-to-actions” (CTAs) buttons. These tell your readers what to do next and can help you generate leads and make more sales. Examples include “Buy now” or “View our recent work.” Place buttons where they make sense—normally after benefits or pricing info. Some of the best CTAs focus on the outcomes. For example, on our home page it’s not “get a quote now”, it’s “Build my small business website”. Test out different phrases and see which one works best for you.

7. Address common concerns and overcome objections in your content

Tackle customer worries head-on by dispelling common objections and complaints. One easy way to do this is by using the word “without” when talking about the benefits of your product or sevice. For example, “High quality school uniform without the price tag” or “Pizza delivery without the long wait times”. These kinds of phrases build trust with your customers. You can find out what frustrates them by looking at your competitors’ negative reviews.

It’s also a good idea to overcome barriers with your call-to-action buttons. Below each button you can add a small line to reassure people. “Get a free quote —no obligation” or “Download guide—no spam.”, “Phone now—calls answered within 3 seconds”.

8. Show customer reviews and case studies —but make sure they’re legit.

Testimonials and reviews are powerful ways of convincing your readers to buy from you, as long as they’re legit. People are savvy these days and can be suspicious of reviews if they feel they’re fake. So, it’s a really good idea to do all you can to prove they’re real. If you can, include profile pictures of your customers and link to their social media profile.

Here, on All-in-1 Websites, we feed the reviews from Linkedin. This way our customers can see these reviews are from real people who have bought our services. You can also feed reviews from your Google profile and websites like Trustpilot. Case studies, video reviews, and image of your customer using your product or service are another great way to show social proof.

9. Add an About section or page

Your About page is crucial. It’s often the second most-visited page on your website. Start with the proof points that build credibility: client numbers, industry certifications, and relevant awards etc. Include professional memberships that matter to your target customers, like Chamber of Commerce affiliations or technical certifications.

Then add recent, professional photos of yourself or your team – it shows there are real people behind your business. Share your journey with specific examples: “After 10 years helping local restaurants with their marketing, I saw how many struggled with their websites. That’s why I started this business.”

10. Display contact details and social media

Make yourself look approachable and show your customers your door is open by displaying your contact details in your website footer—it’s where people naturally look. If they can’t see contact details, they may think you’re not interested in helping them.

Include your phone number, email, and physical address if you have one. Add clear business hours and expected response times, so customers know when they’ll hear back from you. Display social media icons that link to accounts you actually use and check regularly. If you use WhatsApp or Slack for business, include those too. Remember to keep this information consistent across all your web pages.

Easy, right? If you’re stuck, our website copywriting services for small businesses can help.

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