You’re a business owner, marketing professional, entrepreneur, team leader, volunteer, teacher, gardener, parent, and so much more. Regardless, you’re definitely the expert on your business, services, or products. Documenting and sharing your knowledge is a crucial part of making your website project a success.
Content to Include on Your Website
Make sure to include your business basics –
- Business name
- Location and service area
- Tagline
- Mission statement
- Services and overview of each service
- Products and variables
- Audience/customers/clients (who is this for)
Write clear calls to action –
- What are people coming to your website to do?
- Determine the action – buy now, reserve, contact, complete form, call now, book session, schedule, subscribe, register– be clear and consistent throughout the website.
Share about the history and start of your organization –
- When did you start your business?
- Who started it?
- How was the name chosen?
- Where is/was it located?
- Are you still offering the same services or products? If not, how has it changed and evolved since?
- What is special about this business?
- Are there philanthropic or community partners you support?
Who is on your team or holds leadership positions –
- Who can clients, customers, or visitors expect to interact with?
- Will they recognize a certain face or leader?
- Who makes things happen behind the scenes or answers calls and questions?
- What are their qualifications, certifications, press mentions?
- Biographies or contact information for these individuals? Gather any headshots needed.
Specific services you offer –
- What services do you offer? What is included in each service?
- Does a customer or client need to do any “homework” before they book or buy?
- Is this seasonal or year-round? Are supplies limited?
- List each service and 2-4 sentences about the service.
Products and detailed descriptions –
- What products do you offer?
- What size/color/quantity/price/options are there for each product?
- What are your payment options?
- Can customers buy directly from the website? If not, what are the next steps?
- Gather any product images needed.
Up-to-date contact information –
- Official business name, address, email, phone number, social media links.
- Contact form – what fields should be included? Who should receive the messages?
- When can someone expect a reply or follow up?
Showcase awards and professional achievements –
- Have you won any awards?
- Are you certified or recognized professionally?
- Have you been featured in any publications?
- Share when, where, any any logos in PNG format, if possible.
Protect yourself with legal documents and privacy policies –
- Do you have any disclaimers?
- Privacy policy, terms of service, and cookie policies?
- Any other legal language needed?
What other aspects of your business make you unique –
- Are you writing blog posts?
- Hosting events?
- Teaching classes?
- Offering calls or webinars?
- Free shipping?
- Environmentally-focused?
- Using special materials?
- Share any and all thoughts about what sets you apart as a new business or a seasoned competitor. The more details you can offer the better! I will help identify angles that support your website goals.
Buy or commission photos and visuals –
- Do you have licensed images including stock images, professional headshots, product photos or mockups?
- If you have none, do you plan to buy stock images or commission photos?
- Are there specific icons, graphics, or processes we need to create illustrations or visuals for?
Better Understand Page Structure
For most people, it’s easiest to write everything about the business or organization in one big document and send it over. That’s perfect. I love this approach and I’ll choose the right information and find the perfect place for it. Generally, the more you can share, the better. We can always pare down and simplify.
If you are writing content and desire a more structured approach, here’s a solid guideline for providing engaging, branded content that’s both SEO and people-friendly.
Biggest & Best Header <h1>
This is the biggest and first thing people see. This header tells search engines what to read first. There should be only one H1 per page or post. Work in your business name, service(s), and location, if applicable. Include image/visual and tagline or sub-header.
Secondary Headings <h2>
This can be more specific to areas of your business – adds context for next priority. This should be somewhat short – often a phrase or popular search question. Can have more than one h2s per page or post.
Regular Paragraphs
This is a regular sentence or paragraph. Use this for a tagline or subheader. These will be used throughout the page and website, especially for large chunks of text and content.
Calls to Action & Buttons
These buttons and links should be clear, consistent, and descriptive. Call Now, Reserve a table, Register, Work With Me, and similar phrases tell people what to do next and what they will find after they click.
There are also so many talented copywriters and content writers who can handle writing all of your website content for you. This is another great investment that sets you up for a strong and professional brand presence online and IRL.
