web copy you can write in a week
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I don't *need* you to agree with me on this, Reader, but I think you will ... Bullshit on prep and cooking times. BULLSHIT. To every single food blogger: WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO US. I don’t have “evidence” that you post these impossible cooking times in order to break our spirits .............. but I have an intuition. “Have 20 minutes and nothing to do? Whip up these Caviar-Style Seaweed Pearls on Blini with Crème Fraîche.” “Have 10 minutes and some old ricotta in the back of the fridge? Try my simple Stuffed Endive with Whipped Lemon Ricotta & Toasted Hazelnuts.” These recipes — much like every glass of wine I consume 👀 — give me a false sense of hope that I CAN DO ANYTHING. They make me think things like: “Oh! That doesn’t seem too hard.” (Which is the same thing your dad says before he tackles a house project he definitely should have hired a professional to do.) Last week, I fell for the I-dare-you-to-try-to-make-this-ragu-in-less-than-an-hour trap again. It was Pasta e Ceci, an Italian pasta and chickpea soup. Total cook time = 30 minutes. THIRTY. MINUTES. Did it take me 30 minutes, Reader? Obviously not. Because, side note, who is doing anything in 30 minutes? No no. To make my pasta e ceci, it took me THREE HOURS. It took me three goddamned hours to make this soup. To anyone who is thinking of writing in to ask *why* it took me three hours, please do not. I'm honestly not sure. But one thing I AM sure about: Why do these "experts" set us up for imminent and obvious failure? The Segue The good news, Reader. I’m a website copywriter, not a food blogger. Which means I will NEVER lie to you about how long it takes to write (good) website copy.” Good copy results from strategy, solid messaging, and a little marination. AKA TIME. So here’s the website copy you can actually write if you have a week, two weeks, or a month. WHAT TO WRITE IF YOU HAVE A WEEK Write a one-page website. A one-pager website is perfect if you’re just starting out. Lay eeeeeverything out in one organized page. Bing bam boom done. Use this formula: SECTION 1 Header = what you do and for whom CTA SECTION 2 Header = your ideal client’s problem 100 word paragraph about how you solve it CTA SECTION 3 Your Services List them in the order that you most want them booked (hottest service first!) SECTION 4 Mini-About Write 100 words about why you love helping your clients CTA SECTION 5 Final call to action WHAT TO WRITE IF YOU HAVE TWO WEEKS Write these 3 basic pages:
How to write your homepage: Make it a magazine cover of everything you have in your universe. Think of things like your services, your blog, your freebies, email sign-up, social media. Prioritize your sections based on what you’d want a visitor to click on first. How to write your services page: Write 50 words introducing your services, then list them by priority. Write 100 words describing each. (List your prices!) Make sure you have lots of calls to action throughout. How to write your contact page: Write up to 50 words about how excited you are that they’re reaching out — make it welcoming. Then your inquiry form. Then write 3 – 7 FAQs at the end. WHAT TO WRITE IF YOU HAVE A MONTH Write your Home, Services, and Contact, and add these two:
How to write your about page: Make your header a combo of a) what you do for your client and b) one fun thing about you (show your personality!). In your next section, write what makes you different. Then have a lot of fun with the third: pick up to 7 random facts about you (these could even be your favorite color or food) and lay them all out like you're talking to your best friend in 3rd grade. Lastly, add a call to action to go see your services. Remember: your about page is meant to move your reader to the next thing. How to write your blog homepage: Big SEO play! On your blog “homepage,” write 50 words on what people will find on your blog. Write at least 3 blog posts before you launch. AND IF YOU HAVE ZERO TIME? Question for you! On a scale from 1 (glass of wine on a beach) – 5 (having to write your own website), how stressed are you about writing your website? Hit reply and tell me! (Psssst: whatever number you give me is the number of tips I'll send back to you. 😉) Kelsey PS OR ... just skip the stress and hire me to do it all for you. |
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