Why I Love Writing for Websites

Box 117 Web Copy Typing

I {Heart} Writing Website Copy

I have an admission to make: One of my favorite things on this earth (professionally, at least) is writing for websites. Many writers may not understand why; they may love technical writing or legal writing or creative writing (yeah–I like that one too) or writing hard-hitting journalistic pieces that topple governments and the like. But for me, website content creation is both fun and challenging.

Now when I first started creating web content, that’s not something I would have said. I’ve been doing this sort of thing for nearly a decade, and it’s fairly safe to say that content creation has changed over that time. When I entered the realm, the idea of “keyword stuffing” was still fairly popular. That meant you’d land on a webpage that started off something like this:

“Box 117 is a content creation company focused on creating content when web content is needed by companies needing website content.”

It would then proceed for another dozen sentences in pretty much the same way. Add half of the words bolded or underscored and it was…well…a complete mess. It also flew in the face of everything I’d ever known about writing. To me, regardless of what kind of writing I was doing it was about sharing information in such a way that the reader would easily understand and engage with it.

Google recognizes the benefit of quality web writingFortunately, the great Google gods recognized that this highly bloated and manipulated approach really didn’t benefit the users of their search engine. Certainly, those users could be led to a stuffed site, but they were unlikely to remain there if they didn’t receive the information they needed most. User experience and quality content were looked at in a new way, leading to changes in algorithmic updates. Ultimately, those changes led to my falling head-over-heels in love with web writing.

Here are some reasons why:

I get to tell stories.

When I write web content, I have the opportunity to get to know a business or organization inside and out. Through interviews and research, the personality of my clients comes to light…and ultimately to life. You’d be surprised at how often that leads to uncovering something truly unique to an organization that their customers (or potential customers) love–but that those on the inside see only as “just the way we do business.” Helping a business discover or capture that essence is very exciting.

I get to learn new things all the time.

Now if you’re a business owner and reading this, you are likely to know your business inside and out. You understand how to make a widget or deliver your services and may get the impression everyone else does too. Well I’m here to tell you that they (we) don’t. It’s amazing how frequently I get to write about things in web copy that I’ve never heard of before, or never understood before. As I work with my clients to break down processes or identify products, it gives us both the chance to view them in a different way. Then I get to come up with a way to share that information through copy designed to educate and inform. (And yes, that’s exciting!)

Words are powerful.

You may have heard statements like that in relation to how we interact with people one-on-one or in groups. But the words on a page–including those online–can do some pretty amazing things. They can educate, encourage, inspire, or lead the reader to take action. Words can build a reputation, generate sales and establish authority. So as Iwrite the copy for a website, I get the chance to use words in ways to benefit my clients as I help them meet their goals.

There is a both an art and a science to writing web copy.

One of the things that I’ve been able to bring to the table throughout my career is a balance of left brain/right brain thinking. I love the joy of creativity and big-picture thinking, but am also captivated by logic-driven detail. When I create copy for a website, whether primary page copy or blog posts, I have the chance to explore some level of creativity as I also evaluate how the copy can lend to an enhanced SEO (search engine optimization) presence. I also work with the meta titles and descriptions as well, which likewise can impact the ability of a search engine user to find my client’s site and discover their products or services.

As you can see, there really is a lot to love (at least in my mind) about writing for websites. But if you’re not as inclined as I am to greet the day with a smile when it’s time to sit down and type away, give me a call or drop me a line.   I’d love to help.Signature Julie

4 Reasons Writing Content for Your Own Business is Hard

small business owner write content

Having trouble writing content for your own business?  You’re not alone.

One of the questions small business owners often ask is why they struggle with writing content for their websites. After all, they reason, shouldn’t they of all people be able to tell the world (and their potential customers) about who they are and what they do?

The answer is…usually not.

Here’s why:

writing your own business content1.You’re too close to your own business.

Sounds weird, right?  Is being too close and knowing something too well a detriment?  Well, when it comes to writing content, it can be.  Because a business owner knows every teeny-tiny detail of what they do and how they do it, finding the right balance between sharing all that they know versus what’s important (and interesting) to the audience they’re trying to reach can be difficult.

2.You think in industry-speak.

Imagine sitting around a table with a doctor, a corporate attorney, a civil engineer, a landscape architect, a former paralegal and two nurses—all of them talking about what they do and getting into the nitty-gritty details of the last few projects they’ve been working on.  While the paralegal and lawyer may have common ground, the civil engineer may have no earthly idea what they’re bantering on about.  He and the landscape architect chat about a large water project, which in turn is of no interest to the medical people.  It’s a veritable Tower of Babel—with the exception of the fact that It’s actually what happens around the dining room table when my family gets together. Everyone has something interesting to share, but until they stop using the industry speak they’re used to, few will understand what they’re actually saying.

So it is with almost any business.  You may how to share information using industry speak, but need help remembering that a potential target customer might not understand what you’re talking about. That’s where working with a third party who can “translate” your knowledge into content that will appeal to the people you want to reach most.

3.You don’t like how you write.

Although I believe everyone on earth has a great story to tell, I recognize that not everyone is comfortable writing their or sharing their own message.  You may not feel that you’re a great writer or are uncomfortable with coming up with ideas.  That’s okay—and there are options out there (pick me! pick me!) who can help you create content you’re comfortable with.

4.Be honest: you just don’t have time to spend writing content.no time for writing content

By the end of the day, most business owners look at the clock and realize that they’ve barely had time to check their email, much less create content for their website, work on marketing campaigns or deal with social media. Sound familiar?  You’re not alone.  Content development takes time, which comes at a premium for most business owners.  Invest in good content and it more than pays for itself—while saving you time.

For those business owners out there who are creating their own great website and marketing content—I salute you.  And for those who may be too busy, too close, too industry-focused (and those who just hate writing), feel free to get in touch.Signature Julie

LINK Magazine Premiere Issue

In early 2014, not long after I launched Box 117 Creative, I was contacted by the special publications team at the Billings Gazette. Working in conjunction with the Billings Chamber of Commerce, they were in the process of creating a new quarterly publication called LINK, and asked if I would write a story for the new magazine. Having worked on Magic Magazine and other Gazette publications, I was happy to do so.

Writing the lead story, “Defining Tomorrow” was a great opportunity to meet new members of our business community.

As a freelance writer for over 5 years, I knew several of the individuals I was to interview, but was excited to talk with others to whom I had not yet been introduced. Every person to whom I spoke was gracious and excited to share their ideas about the future of our city.  Given the fact I was just starting out on my own, hearing their enthusiasm was infectious, and gave me greater insight as to the possibilities for both personal and professional growth right here at home.

As with any project, not everything goes as smoothly as one would like. In this instance, the story was nearly to press when one of the main individuals I had interviewed stepped down from his position. Working frantically with my editor, I was able to set up an interview with another community leader, rework the story to accommodate his thoughts and replace the lead-in faster that I ever thought possible.

Work completed:

  • Interviews
  • Article writing

Project: LINK Magazine Premiere Issue - Freelance Writing

The Executive Group Website

The Executive Group is a recruitment firm located in Billings, Montana.

Working with Echelon Design & Advertising and Webgrain, I had the opportunity to participate in the creation of a new website for the company.

This was the first project I completed with The Executive Group, which required I invest the time needed to learn more about them, how they operated and what set them apart. Their former site had not been updated in a number of years, so creating a tone that was both professional and engaging was a “from scratch” effort. Fortunately, Echelon Design & Advertising was great to work with, and the team at The Executive Group was generous both in terms of sharing their time and thoughts with me.  This led to what I believe is very positive outcome both in terms of experience and results.

Work completed:

  • Site map creation and review
  • Client interviews
  • Competitor research and analysis
  • Biography writing
  • Website content creation
  • SEO key word/key phrase research
  • Meta title creation
  • Meta description creation

See the completed website here.

Project: The Executive Group Website - Freelance Writer