How to Write Website Content for Your Small Business (Even If You Hate Writing)

The most common reason a small business website project stalls is not design or technical problems — it’s the content. The business owner sits down to write about themselves and their services, and the words don’t come.

This guide gives you a practical system for producing clear, effective website content — even if you’ve never considered yourself a writer.

Why most business owner-written content fails

The problem isn’t that business owners can’t write. It’s that they write for the wrong audience.

When you write about your business, you write from the inside out — leading with what you know about how your business works, what you’re proud of, and what you want people to know. But your customer reads from the outside in — they have a specific problem, they’re trying to work out if you can solve it, and they make a snap judgement based on what they find first.

The fix is simple: start with the customer’s question, not your answer.

The structure that works for every service page

Open with the problem the customer has. Not “Smith Plumbing has been providing quality plumbing services since 2001” — but “A blocked drain at the wrong moment causes real disruption. Here’s how we fix it, and how quickly we can be with you.”

The customer isn’t looking for your history. They’re looking for evidence that you understand their situation.

Explain what you do in plain language. No jargon. Assume the reader knows nothing about your trade or profession. If you install central heating systems, say “We install the boiler, radiators, and pipework that heat your home” — not “We provide comprehensive central heating installation solutions.”

Tell them what happens when they contact you. The process. Step one: they call you. Step two: you come out and assess. Step three: you quote and agree. Step four: the job is completed. This demystifies the purchase and removes the anxiety of not knowing what they’re committing to.

Give them a reason to trust you. Not “We pride ourselves on quality” — everyone says that. Specific evidence: how long you’ve been operating, accreditations you hold, a number of customers served, a specific achievement. Real details carry weight.

Tell them what to do next. One clear call to action. Call, get a quote, book a review. Not three options — one primary instruction.

The interview method (if you really struggle to write)

If you find it hard to write about yourself, don’t write — talk. Ask someone to interview you with these questions:

1. What problem does a customer typically have when they contact you?
2. What do you do to solve it?
3. What’s the process, from first contact to job done?
4. Why should someone choose you over a competitor?
5. What’s a specific example of a problem you solved well?

Record the conversation on your phone. Then transcribe it (Google Docs has a free voice-to-text feature that works reasonably well). Edit the transcript for clarity. What you’ll have is much closer to natural, genuine content than anything you’d produce by staring at a blank page.

What to write for each main page

Homepage: What you do, who for, where, and what to do next. 200–400 words.

Each service page: The problem this service solves, what you do, how it works, what it costs approximately (or how to get a quote), and your credentials for this specific service. 300–500 words.

About page: Not your company history — your story, told through the lens of why a customer should care. What made you start this business? What do you care most about? Who is behind the business? 200–300 words.

Contact page: Where you are, how to reach you, what happens after contact. 100–150 words.

What not to write

Adjectives without evidence. “Reliable,” “professional,” “experienced,” “friendly” — every business uses these words. They’ve lost all meaning. Replace them with specifics: “We’ve completed over 200 boiler installations across Birmingham” carries more weight than “We’re experienced.”

We-focused content. Every sentence that starts with “We” is a sentence not focused on the customer. “We offer…” becomes “You get…” Shift the framing.

Content written for search engines. “Plumber Birmingham plumbing services Birmingham West Midlands plumber” looks like spam and reads like spam. Write for people. Google is better at detecting natural writing than most people realise.

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At mybitness, copywriting is included in every website we build. You answer some questions about your business, we do the writing — and you review and approve before anything goes live.

Find out more about how it works →