Why most attempts go wrong

People sit down to write and immediately try to sound professional. Out comes a paragraph about being passionate about delivering quality solutions, which says nothing and could belong to anybody.

The fix is to stop writing and start answering. Words you say out loud to a customer are almost always better than words you compose for a website.

The method

Record yourself explaining what you do to somebody who has never heard of it. Two minutes, no notes. Then write down what you said. That is your first draft and it is usually stronger than anything you would have typed.

Then put it in order. What you do. Who it is for. Where you work. Why you rather than the next one. What happens if they get in touch. Most sites have all this and none of it in a sensible sequence.

Rules that actually help

Short sentences. One idea each. Say the thing before you explain the thing. Cut any sentence that could belong to a competitor. Read it aloud and delete whatever makes you wince.

The part everybody forgets

Write the ending. Tell people exactly what to do next and what will happen when they do. Ring this number and you will speak to me, not a call centre. That single line outperforms a whole page of adjectives.

When to hand it over

If you have tried and it still feels stiff, that is normal. Bring me the recording and the rough notes. Editing somebody who knows their trade is quick work. Inventing it from nothing is not.