Writing website text: why is it so HARD?

Suddenly, it’s your responsibility: an “about us” page is needed, and you’re tasked with writing the website text. Feeling overwhelmed? You’re certainly not alone! It’s quite a challenge when you’re tasked with writing the second most important page of a website. A quick Google search and a glance at the competition give you an idea of what’s expected, and you start typing. You’re not alone in this approach, but this is precisely why many companies end up with meaningless texts, filled with buzzwords, on their website. And which customer is going to be convinced by that? We discuss the most common pitfalls, how to avoid them, and then how to write truly remarkable texts instead.

Every organization is unique, and the website text should reflect this. But there’s always a degree of organizational blindness that prevents you from seeing what makes you unique. Instead, we often opt for what we see as the safest route: mediocrity. What are the pitfalls that lead to this? And how can you write a remarkable website text? We’re happy to lay it out for you:

The main pitfalls in writing website text

• You can’t articulate what makes you unique – Often the core of the problem. To avoid this, you resort to using buzzwords like customer-focused, reliability, and results-oriented. Sounds good until you see the same list at your competitors. First, determine which story truly shows what makes you unique!

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• You copy, consciously or unconsciously, the competition – You’re not really sure how to write a text, but you do it because it’s expected. Often, you end up with a result that’s essentially a copy of the competition. In your head, you think: “they must know what they’re doing”. Often, this is also not true!
• Inactive or too formal language – “We would like to assist you if” versus “We’re happy to solve this problem for you”. It’s just an example, but if you’re inactive on the website, what happens when I sit down with you? Keep It Simple! Use words you also use in daily practice and be as clear as possible.
• You have no idea who you’re writing this for – Why are you writing this? Who needs to understand and remember what’s here? Are they your current customers, colleagues, suppliers, or potential new customers? It makes quite a difference for whom you write, so think about that first.

So, how do you come up with a compelling text that really shows what your organization stands for and invites contact? Actually, you can just do the opposite of what’s mentioned above:

Step 1: Figure out what makes you unique.
Start with a short story or a list. The litmus test? Put the competitor’s name on top and see if it still applies. If so, start over.

Step 2: Who are you writing this for?
If you don’t know who you’re writing for, you also don’t know which tone, word choice, or structure to maintain. Think about this until you really understand who you’re talking to.

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Step 3: Write the text
Now you’re ready to start writing the website text.

You know what makes you unique and who you’re trying to convince. You’ve talked to enough people about your organization to know what they really want to know. Write that down.

This piece, in short, addresses what really makes it difficult to write a text for a website and what you can do about it. These might seem like a few simple tips, but in practice, it’s often difficult to provide a good answer to these questions. Feel challenged, at least we hope we’ve given you something to think about.