"How can I make my website copy project smooth? And not, like, a months-long dragged-out cycle of dread?"
Let’s say you’re ready to overhaul your website copy. What do you do first?
You brew a cup of coffee, pull up a blank Google Doc, and start tippity-tapping away, right?
WROOOOONNGGG.
(Except the coffee. You might need that.)
So what’s the problem with the blank page approach?
No strategy No plan No customer data No direction
Supreme bummer to execute
Start with strategy instead
Your message comes from strategy.
Your copy comes from your message.
A lot of us start along these lines: “Well, everyone says I need an About Me page, so I guess I’ll write one.” But that’s like spooning sprinkles into an empty ice cream cone. You can’t skip the part where you pick your flavor.
Work forward, not backward.
Here’s how.
Want a free sample of strategy and support?Before you write your website copy, grab all this stuff
Writing your website isn’t a matter of what words to put where.
(Okay, it is, eventually. But stick with me for a moment.)
Everything on your website needs to have a purpose behind it. Every word, every image, should have a strategy behind it.
Whether you’re working with a copywriter, or writing your website copy yourself, you’ll need all these things before you start.
Testimonials
This might be the single most important item on the list.
We want all the testimonials you can round up. Allllll. Even for services you don’t offer anymore. If someone wrote down how they felt about your business, we want to know.
The language is gold. The message is gold.
We start with what your customer wants, in their words. Everything flows from there.
Digital and print marketing materials
Have any other written marketing materials?
Any social media posts that really hit?
What words work? What have people responded to?
What do you love, and what doesn’t quite feel aligned?
✨ Website analytics ✨
Do you use an internal analytics program? Google Analytics? Do you have Hotjar or a similar heatmap tool installed?
Can you start?
If you don’t have access to any of this information now, that’s okay. Now’s a good time to start.
Goals for your site and each page
We’re not cooking spaghetti circa 1996, so we’re not just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. (Do people still do this? It is kinda fun.)
When you know what you want your website to do, you can build a strategy to get you there.
If you don’t know what you’re prioritizing, your calls to action are muddled. You don’t create a clear path for your reader.
So what does your reader do? Not much.
Write down a basic customer journey. How much does your lead know before they’re on your website? What do they know about you? Your offer? How much info do they need? What can you give them along the way?
Need help?
A copywriting project doesn’t start with words. It starts with your business goals.
Get clear on your goals. Get optimized. Get going.
Writing your own copy? Start with the support of a spark.
Want someone else to write it for you? Start your glow up.