Content is the part most small business owners find hardest about getting a website. The design? You have a rough idea of what you want. The photos? You can sort something out. But sitting down to write the words that will appear on your homepage, your services page, and your about page — that is where many people freeze.
The good news is that writing good website content does not require a journalism degree or a flair for creative writing. It requires clarity, and a clear understanding of who you are writing for. Here is how to approach it.
Write for Your Customer, Not for Yourself
The most common mistake small business owners make when writing website content is writing about themselves. A homepage that begins "Welcome to Smith Plumbing. We were established in 2008 and pride ourselves on delivering exceptional plumbing solutions across the Greater Manchester area" is focused entirely on the business.
Your customer does not care about any of that — at least not yet. What they care about is whether you can solve their problem.
Start by asking: what does my customer want, and what are they worried about? A homeowner with a burst pipe wants it fixed quickly, at a reasonable price, by someone they can trust. Lead with that. "Burst pipe? Leaking boiler? We fix plumbing emergencies across Greater Manchester — fast." That is the kind of opening that makes a visitor stop and read on.
Your background and credentials matter, but they should support your main message, not replace it.
Keep Your Homepage Focused
Your homepage has one job: to tell visitors who you are, what you do, and who you do it for — clearly enough that they stay and explore further.
You have around eight seconds before most visitors decide whether to stay or leave. In that window, your homepage needs to answer three questions:
- What does this business do? Do not make visitors work this out. State it plainly in your headline.
- Is it right for me? Mention your location, your customers, or your specialism so the right people feel immediately at home.
- What should I do next? Every homepage needs a clear call to action — "Get a free quote," "Book a consultation," or simply "Get in touch."
Resist the urge to put everything on your homepage. You have other pages for that.
Be Specific, Not Vague
Vague content does not convert. Phrases like "high quality," "exceptional service," and "competitive prices" appear on virtually every small business website in the country, which means they have lost all meaning. Nobody reads "we pride ourselves on quality" and thinks: right, I am convinced.
Specific content, on the other hand, builds trust. Compare these two versions:
Vague: "We offer a range of landscaping services to transform your outdoor space."
Specific: "We design and build patios, raised beds, lawn edging, and planting schemes for homes across South Yorkshire. Most jobs are completed within two days."
The second version tells you exactly what to expect. It answers real questions. It reads like a real business, not a marketing brochure.
Wherever you find yourself writing something generic, ask: can I be more specific? Usually, you can.
Write Your Services Page Like You Are Answering Questions
Your services page is one of the most important pages on your website — and most people write it wrong. A long bullet list of service names does not help your customer decide whether you are the right fit.
Instead, think about the questions your customers ask you most often, and answer them on the page. How long does the service take? What is included? What happens after you book? Is there a guarantee?
A well-written services page reads like a conversation with someone who knows their trade inside out and wants to make the process as simple as possible. That is exactly the impression you want to give.
Your About Page Is Not About Your History
Most "About Us" pages follow the same formula: a timeline of when the company was founded, how the team has grown, and how many clients you have served. That is fine — but it misses the point.
Your about page is a trust-building exercise. Customers read it when they are already interested but want to know if you are the right choice. Give them what they need to make that decision.
That means: who you actually are (a real person, not a faceless company), why you do what you do, and what makes your approach different from the competition. A photo of you — even a straightforward one — does more for trust than three paragraphs of company history.
If you have been running your business for ten years, mention it — longevity is credible. But lead with the customer, not the timeline.
Do Not Forget to Ask for the Sale
Every page on your website should end with a clear next step. Not a vague "feel free to reach out" buried at the bottom — a direct, confident invitation to take action.
"Ready to get started? Get in touch today and we will have a quote back to you within 24 hours."
That is it. You do not need to be pushy or salesy. You just need to make the next step obvious.
Many small business websites bury or omit their calls to action entirely. The result is visitors who are interested but unsure what to do — so they do nothing. Make it easy. Tell them what to do, and give them a reason to do it now.
A Note on Length
There is no perfect word count for a web page. Your homepage might have 300 words. Your services page might have 600. What matters is that every sentence earns its place.
If you can remove a sentence and the paragraph still makes sense, remove it. Good website copy is tight. It does not repeat itself. It says what it needs to say and stops.
A useful trick: read your content aloud. If you stumble, rewrite it. If it sounds like a corporate brochure rather than a real conversation, simplify it. The best website copy sounds like someone who knows their business inside out — talking to you directly, without the formality.
You Know More Than You Think
The biggest block most business owners have when writing website content is believing they are not good writers. That might be true in the literary sense, but it does not matter for this job.
What you need to write good website content is knowledge of your business, your customers, and your services — and you already have all of that. Start with the most important thing you want customers to know. Write it plainly. Then work through the rest. You can tighten it up later.
Getting something on the page is far more important than getting it perfect from the start.
And if you would rather hand it off entirely, that is a perfectly reasonable choice. The important thing is that your website has content that works — content that speaks directly to the right customers, answers their real questions, and gives them a clear reason to choose you.
If you would like help building a website that presents your business clearly and professionally — design, structure, and content — get in touch. We will get you online with something you are genuinely proud of.