Are you following along with my 12 Actionable Steps to get your website done? I’m employing my own process and getting my website redesign done too. So far, so good! We’re over halfway there!
We’ve already talked about the 5 stupidly simple pages your website needs. Today, we are talking about actually writing and assembling all the content you will need for your website. So, open up a new Google Doc, Word document, or your favorite word processor. Add the title of each page at the top of a new page, and let’s get started! Remember, this step we are just looking at content. We aren’t worrying about design yet.
Step #7: Write All of the Content
Here is what’s necessary content-wise for these 5 essential pages:
Home page
Concisely explain who you are, what you do, and why it matters. Think of your home page as a summary of your whole site. You want to give your reader an overview and entry points to dig deeper where they’re interested.
For me: I’m pretty happy with the overall content on my home page, but I’m currently working to see if I can make it stronger and clearer about what I do.
About page
Tell your personal story in a way ideal clients can relate to. Give the nitty-gritty details but don’t be afraid to be personal so readers can get to know you. Remember, people want to work with real people. You can also talk about how your business is structured or what your values are. If it matters, share it.
For me: I’m keeping my current about page with my personal story. People tend to like it and ask me about it. And even as time passes, it’s still very true.
Services page
Describe what they’re really. You already know what your services are. Now it’s time to share those services in a way that describes what really gets delivered. This might go far beyond the tangible deliverable alone.
For me: When it comes to my services, I’m working hard to clearly understand and answer this question: What are they really getting?
Portfolio page
Show challenges and solutions. Consider using your portfolio to not only demonstrate work, but to show the thinking behind the work. Case studies are very hot right now. I especially love Think Baseline’s portfolio and Intend Creative’s portfolio.
For me: I can’t wait to use the challenge/solution approach for my own projects and create case studies.
Contact page
Tell them how to contact you. This sounds obvious, but a contact page should tell visitors how you want to be contacted. If you offer a free consultation, tell them. If you need them to fill out a form, tell them. If you’re located in a physical place that folks can visit, show them and include a map.
For me: My current contact page works well. I might change the headline, but that’s about it.
For some of my content, I’m getting an outside perspective from my copywriter. Two brains are always better than one! If you need two brains working on your website, I’m happy to supplement your creative brainpower. Let’s talk.
Good stuff, Jill. I’ve had many clients that don’t want to tell their story. Like you said, a personal story helps readers get to know you. It’s one of the top 5 most viewed pages on my site.