Words do most of the work
Visitors decide in seconds whether a page is for them. Clear headlines, specific detail and an obvious next step make more difference to enquiries than any visual flourish. We write website copy for our own builds, and for businesses who want their existing site to say things better.
Most small-business websites have the same problem: the copy describes the business from the inside. It lists what the owner is proud of rather than answering what a customer wants to know. Who is this for? What exactly do you do? Roughly what does it cost? How do I start? Good copy answers those questions in that order.
Who it is for locally
- Knowledge Gateway and other technical firms that find it hard to explain complex work simply, a subject we cover in explaining technical work at the Knowledge Gateway
- Trades and services in Stanway and around Colchester Essex running Google Ads, who need pages that match each advert rather than sending everyone to the home page
- Hospitality businesses promoting events, Christmas bookings or private hire, where a dedicated page beats a line buried in the menu
- Seasonal businesses on Mersea Island and the coast launching each season with a focused offer
- Any business launching a new service that does not yet have a page of its own
Website copywriting
We write home, service, about and location pages from a short interview with you, plus any notes, reviews and existing material you have. The result is specific, plain-English copy with no jargon or filler, search terms used naturally based on what your customers actually type, and a clear call to action on every page.
How it works
- Interview. About an hour on the phone or in person, covering your customers, services, process, prices or price drivers and what makes you different.
- Research. We look at how competitors describe themselves and what people search for, so your pages answer the real questions.
- Page plan. A list of pages with the purpose and main search term for each, agreed before writing starts.
- First drafts. Written in your voice, with headings, calls to action and suggested images.
- Revisions. You correct facts and tone; we revise.
- Handover or build. We supply final copy, or add it to the site as part of website design or a website redesign.
Landing pages
A landing page is a single page built for one purpose: a Google Ads campaign, a new service launch, an event, a recruitment drive. Because it has one job, it can be far more persuasive than a general page. We design and build landing pages that load fast, match the advert that sent the visitor, and make the next step easy.
What goes into a good landing page
- A headline that repeats the promise of the advert or email
- A short explanation of the offer, who it is for and what happens next
- Proof: real photos, examples of work and genuine reviews where you have them
- Answers to the two or three objections that stop people enquiring
- One clear action, such as a short form, a call button or a booking link
- Fast loading on mobile, because most campaign traffic arrives on a phone
Landing page or service page?
| Service page | Landing page | |
|---|---|---|
| Main traffic source | Organic search and site navigation | Ads, email, social or print campaigns |
| Audience | Anyone interested in the service | One specific audience or offer |
| Navigation | Full site menu | Often minimal, to keep focus |
| Calls to action | Several routes to contact | One primary action |
| Lifespan | Permanent, updated over time | Often tied to a campaign or season |
| SEO role | Core ranking page | Usually secondary, sometimes not indexed |
How long it takes
Copy for a typical small-business site of five to ten pages usually takes two to four weeks, mostly depending on how quickly drafts are reviewed. A single landing page, written, designed and built with tracking, normally takes one to two weeks.
What drives the cost
- Number of pages and how much each page needs to say
- Research needed: a technical or regulated service takes longer to get right
- Design and build: copy only, or copy plus a built page with tracking
- Variations: separate pages for different audiences or ad groups
- Testing: ongoing improvement after launch is a separate, smaller monthly piece of work
Our guide to website costs in Colchester explains how copy fits into a wider project budget.
Common mistakes
- Sending all ad traffic to the home page. Visitors have to hunt for what the advert promised, and many give up.
- Opening with "Welcome to our website". The first line should tell visitors they are in the right place.
- Vague claims. "High quality, friendly service" says nothing. Specific detail about how you work is more convincing.
- Copy written last. When the design is finished before the words, the copy gets squeezed into boxes that were never the right size. We write first, or alongside the design, so the page is built around what needs to be said. It is the same reason our web design company plans the content of every project before a single screen is drawn.
- Too many choices. A landing page with five buttons usually performs worse than one with a single clear action.
- No tracking. Without conversion tracking, nobody knows whether the page or the advert is the problem.
How we measure success
We set up conversion tracking so you can see what each page produces: form submissions, calls and bookings, alongside visits and where they came from. For landing pages we look at the conversion rate and the cost per enquiry when paired with ads. Once there is enough data, we suggest specific changes based on real user behaviour rather than opinion. Businesses in places like Mersea Island often review their pages before each season using the previous year's numbers.
Questions we get asked
Do I need to write anything myself?
No. We interview you for about an hour, ask for any existing material, and write from that. You review the drafts and correct anything that is not quite right about how you work.
Can you write copy for a website someone else built?
Yes. We can supply copy for you or your developer to add, or add it ourselves if we have access to the site.
What is the difference between a landing page and a normal service page?
A service page explains a service to anyone who arrives, often from search, and links to the rest of the site. A landing page is built for one campaign or audience, matches the advert that sent the visitor, and has a single next step.
Will the copy help with SEO?
It is written with the searches your customers use in mind, so it supports SEO, but it is written for people first. Copy stuffed with keywords reads badly and tends to convert poorly.
How do you know if a landing page is working?
We set up conversion tracking before launch, so you can see how many visitors take the next step. Once there is enough traffic, we suggest and test specific changes.