Why the best grammar and punctuation books?

Don’t get me wrong: proofreading tools like Grammarly can help you correct small typos, but they can’t fix major grammatical mistakes.

Just like you (hopefully) wouldn’t start building a skyscraper without solid foundations, you need to be confident with grammar and punctuation whenever you write for your badass female-founded business.

Did you know that a single spelling mistake can cut down sales by 50%? 

Plus, it’ll make you look unprofessional and put people off from seeing you as an expert in your field, whether that’s on your business website, email marketing campaigns, or social media posts.

Luckily, the best grammar and punctuation books can help!

They’ll offer you a deeper understanding, clear common doubts, and always be there for you to use them as a quick reference whenever you need them again.

To make things easier for you, I’ve included both English grammar books providing a wider overview on the subject and the best books on punctuation if that’s what you’re mainly struggling with.

[This article contains affiliate links which simply means that, should you decide to buy one of these punctuation and grammar books through them, I’ll receive a small percentage without extra costs for you.

Also, yeah: they’re from a more ethical platform than the one you were probably expecting. Just thought we could support a business that doesn’t avoid taxes nor lead to couriers weeing in bottles.]

Top 5 grammar and punctuation books for mistake-free marketing 

Let’s make sure you find the right grammar or punctuation book for your specific needs.

1. The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (With Quizzes) - Best English grammar book

Honestly? This volume contains so many specific, in-depth chapters that I’m pretty sure even Aunt Josephine from A Series of Unfortunate Events would agree that it’s the BEST grammar book of all time.

It starts with the very basics, so it’s handy if you struggle to remember what exactly a noun or an adjective is.

However, it holds a ton of value for more seasoned readers and writers, too, with chapters such as ‘common whom pitfall’, ‘use of single quotation marks for quotations within quotations’, and ‘thorny aspects of capitalization’.

It also includes loads of useful quizzes to help you put what you’ve learned into practice.

2. The Penguin Guide to Punctuation - Best punctuation book 

Here are some examples from this punctuation book:

• “Lisa speaks French, Juliet speaks Italian.”

• “She groped for her cigarettes and finding them, hastily lit one.”

• “Saturn was long thought to be the only ringed planet, however, this is now known not to be the case.”

• “You must hand in your essay by Friday or you will receive a mark of zero.”

ALL of these sentences contain mistakes: if you thought that even a single one of them was correct, do your business a favour and invest in this punctuation book.

I always use The Penguin Guide to Punctuation as a reference whenever in doubt.

Just in case you were curious, here are the correct sentences:

• “Lisa speaks French, and Juliet speaks Italian.” (or you could either use ‘, whereas’ or have a full stop. You just can’t connect two full sentences with a comma. That’s a comma splice, my friend. And it’s baaaaad)

• “She groped for her cigarettes and, finding them, hastily lit one.” (You need another comma to section off that part of the sentence that gives you additional information)

• “Saturn was long thought to be the only ringed planet; however, this is now known not to be the case.” (You can either use a semi-colon or a full stop before ‘however’: not a comma)

• “You must hand in your essay by Friday, or you will receive a mark of zero.” (You need a joining comma if ‘or’ is preceded and followed by full sentences).

3. The Only Grammar & Style Workbook You'll Ever Need - Comprehensive grammar book

Well, the title says it all.

More specifically, I think this could be the best grammar book for you if what you’re looking for is a good overview of the most common mistakes and issues.

For example, it goes from basic sentence structure to punctuation & style and even eliminating wordy phrases (hint hint: great tool to improve the readability of your online copy!).

As well as clear explanations and examples, this English grammar book includes a ton of exercises that you can use to put what you’ve learned into practice.

4. Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Engertaining grammar and punctuation book

For me, this was more of an enjoyable read (I know. I’m not fun at parties) rather than a reference volume or workbook. 

It’s written in a witty way that’ll make you fall in love with grammar all over again. 

The title itself is a clever pun that proves how a punctuation mark can completely change the meaning of an entire sentence:

• a panda would probably ‘eat shoots and leaves’

• when you add two commas, you get a very angry panda who ‘eats (something), shoots (with a gun), and (then) leaves’

This grammar book focuses on apostrophes, commas, dashes, and hyphens, but it still covers broader grammar and punctuation topics, too.

It doesn’t include exercises but it does have a few useful examples.

5. My Grammar and I (Or Should That Be 'Me'?) - Great grammar book to clarify existing doubts

As you’ve probably guessed from the title, this grammar book will make you question everything you had ever taken for granted when it comes to sentence structure and punctuation.

As well as typical grammatical topics, it includes two extremely useful sections that immediately stood out for me: ‘spelling and confusable’ and ‘odds and sods’ (perfect to clarify any doubts and avoid potential pitfalls).

This is the best grammar book for you if you were hoping for something that’s both full of examples and witty, conversational passages.

Well, these are the best grammar and punctuation books for me, but I’m always looking for new titles for my geeky shelves. Know any other good ones? Drop them in the comments.

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FAQs on punctuation and grammar books for female entrepreneurs

Lemme clarify a couple more things.

1. Why is grammar important in communication?

Using correct grammar is vital in communication because it facilitates reading and avoids potential misunderstandings.

When it comes to business and marketing? It’s even more important because it helps you be perceived as a trustworthy professional who knows the difference between ‘knowing your shit’ and ‘knowing you’re shit’.

2. So, what is the best book to improve your grammar?

I’d say that the best book to improve your grammar is The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. However, if you’re mainly struggling with punctuation alone, it’d make more sense to opt for The Penguin Guide to Punctuation.

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

Copywriters. You’ve heard about these mythological creatures on LinkedIn and online articles, so now—whether or not you fully understand what it means—you’re obviously asking yourself: “Do I need a copywriter?”

Like… you personally. Your badass female-founded business.

Why do you need a copywriter to grow it and be successful?

Before answering this totally legitimate question, I thought I’d make things easier with a quick reply to the opposite one:

Who does NOT need a copywriter?

Other copywriters. 

That’s it.

(Although I’ve actually worked for other copywriters before, but that was mainly to save them time or help them look at their project with fresh eyes).

Just like, if you were a plumber, you probably wouldn’t need to call another plumber to fix your broken sink. But, if you’re not a plumber, then you totally would. 

Instead of leaking pipes, though, we’re talking about potentially vital damage to your sales funnel (from lead generation to conversions) and your overall brand.

Who needs a copywriter?

Anyone who’s got a business or an online presence but isn’t a copywriter themselves.

Whether you’re a solopreneur, a small business owner, or the head of the largest corporation on earth, you need a copywriter.

When you’re a large company with a huge budget, it probably makes more sense to have an in-house copywriter or even a team.

However, as a solopreneur or small business owner, it’s waaaaaay more cost-effective to collaborate with a freelance copywriter only when you actually need some new copy.

After all, why would you want to pay for our equipment, holidays, and pension, too? (I mean, it’d be very generous of you, don’t get me wrong… but probably not the smartest move from a budget and business point of view?).

What does a copywriter do?

It’s easy to mistake us for traditional writers or the people in charge of adding that little © to copyrighted materials.

No offence taken. Still, that’s not what we do.

A simple copywriter definition

A copywriter is the person who creates the written text and marketing materials (also known as copy) to promote the products or services of a specific business, helping them generate more leads and converting them into sales.

And let’s debunk a dangerous copywriting myth: being good with words is NOT synonymous with being a good copywriter.

You might be the new Stephen King when it comes to prose and fiction (jealous!), but that doesn’t mean that you can write a sales page that will convert.

Unlike poetic literary passages, excellent copywriting doesn’t draw attention to the words themselves.

I’d love to remember where I read it, but someone said that marketing copy should be like a window: you don’t actually see the glass but it allows you to look at what’s outside (=a company’s unmissable offer) without getting distracted.

Copywriting is not about writing pretty words. It’s about combining the right ones with marketing and SEO strategies to attract a specific audience and convert those visits into leads or sales while helping a brand stand out against its competitors.

Types of freelance copywriters

While you definitely need a copywriter, you might decide to work with a specific category depending on what type of words you’re after:

• Some copywriters are jacks-of-all-trades and will write any type of copy, such as PPC ads, social media posts, email marketing campaigns, printed materials, etc.

• Some others have specialised by type of industry and will write all kinds of copy for their niche, which might be something like SaaS or medical

• Some other copywriters (like me!) work with businesses across different industries but have specialised in certain types of copy or content. In my case? Website copywriting services and blog posts

Either way, here’s what to expect when working with a freelance copywriter.

So, why do I need a copywriter for my female-founded business? 7 reasons

If your initial question still stands, here are some of the main reasons why you need a copywriter to sell your products or services as a business owner or solopreneur.

1. You’re not a copywriter yourself

As we’ve already established, this is the biggest clue and the main answer to the “do I need a copywriter?” question. 

If you’re not one, then you need one.

Easy.

2. Writing about your own business is tricky

Are you so excited about your products that you can’t wait to list all their features? So proud of what you’ve achieved that you’ve written two full pages of company history? 

I totally get it. That’s usually what happens when you’ve poured your heart and soul into your business and just want to scream it to the whole world.

However, trust me: that’s not what your audience wants to hear.

• When they land on your website, they want to know how your products or services will benefit them and change their life/workday/whatever-it-is-you-focus-on for the better

• When they read blog posts, they couldn’t care less about company news, awards, and achievements. They want to find answers to industry-related questions or read compelling articles about topics they’re already interested in

That’s why you need a copywriter: because we write about YOUR business but with the needs of your TARGET AUDIENCE in mind (not your ego).

 We focus on benefits, not features. 

We talk to your readers directly rather than starting every page with an impersonal “we’re a company that” or “we’re delighted to announce”.

Basically, we find the BEST way to make your products sound like the perfect match for your customers. 

Which they already are, I’m sure. 

It just needs to be conveyed and repackaged in a way they’ll immediately understand.

3. A copywriter will avoid potential pitfalls and grammatical mistakes...

Did you know that 74% of online customers notice the quality of spelling or grammar on a company’s website? 

• ‘Could of’ instead of ‘could have’

• ‘Your important to us’ instead of ‘you’re’

• Misplaced commas

• Repetitions

• Spelling inconsistencies

These are just some of the potential pitfalls that you’ll never have to worry about again when you hire a copywriter.

We know what rules can be broken and what grammatical points should never be touched.

4. … and make your brand sound human and unique rather than another robotic corporate website

How many times have you seen company websites using these sentences?

• “As a company with over fifteen years of experience in…”

• “We offer business solutions”

• “We’re excited to announce that…”

We’ve all seen them soooooooo many times that… now? They’ve become white noise. They don’t really mean anything anymore.

Instead, a copywriter is just as fed up with these meaningless buzzwords as your audience is, so we’ll create unique voices and ways to get your point across.

Here are some examples of my own copywriting:

“No matter what you need us to cut down or how many branches we must trim, your garden will not be compromised. We always tidy up before leaving, just like Mum taught us.” - Knutsford Tree Services

“We bet you know the feeling. You open your kitchen cupboards, stand in front of a few piles of plastic-wrapped products, and think… I have nothing to eat!” - Mindful Morsel

“We were in your exact same situation three years ago: filled with a tingling desire to improve our habits but with no idea as to how to practically do it. That’s why we rolled up our sleeves and created Project Cece!” - Project Cece (… duh)

Instead of copying and pasting the same old corporate sentences, as a professional copywriter, I’ll make your visitors feel like you are having a direct conversation with them over a coffee.

5. Oh, and we sell without sounding salesy

Let’s be honest: nobody likes being sold to!

I genuinely get anxious if I spot a sales rep lurking on the street a few feet away (yes, I’m one of those who pretend to be on their phone to avoid that conversation).

“Wait, so you’re not going to help me sell my products or services?!”

Of course, I am! 

But, when your prospects read what I wrote, it won’t really sound like they’re being sold to. 

Why? ’Cause I’ll be showing them what problem or pain point of theirs you can solve with your products or services. 

Think about it! Would you rather be met with a salesy page that says:

“Buy our new ergonomic pillows TODAY!”

or one with something like:

“Sore neck after what should have been a good night’s sleep… again? Let’s help you wake up with a dreamy start of the day”?

Thought so.

6. A copywriter will optimise online copy and content for SEO

Having a professional website with targeted audience-oriented copy is key… but it also needs to be found by your dream customers.

Unless you’re super SEO-savvy, there are three main risks that you’re likely to bump into when you write your own copy and blog posts:

• They’re not optimised for SEO

• They are, but they target keywords that your dream audience isn’t actually googling

•  They’re so stuffed with the same keywords that they’ll get penalised by search engines (and they’ll sound so robotic that they’ll be painful to read)

Nowadays, unless they only work with printed materials, any professional copywriter should also be an SEO expert.

My superpower? Writing for both humans and search engines… without the other one realising it.

7. You’ll save a ton of time

Whether that’s writing your entire website copy from scratch or keeping your blog updated with high-quality content, doing it yourself takes time. 

And the worst thing?

All this time will be WASTED if you don’t know how to write for a specific audience or optimise your web pages for SEO. 

Ouch.

But, just you’re like the best person to do whatever you love the most about your business, a copywriter is the one when it comes to writing online copy for your business website.

This means that you can either focus on what you normally do for your business or enjoy a few well-deserved hours for yourself. Cheers!

How I can help your female-founded business as a copywriter 🔥

So, the moral of the story: “do I need a copywriter?”

Yes, but be sure to find the right one for the type of copy that you actually need.

Me? I specialise in turning ambitious female-founded brands into THE go-to solution in their dream audience’s eyes. I can help in three main scenarios:

• You’re about to launch your business website (exciting!) and want to kickstart it on the right foot: you need new copy from scratch

• You’ve realised that your website isn’t attracting many visitors nor converting those fleeting visits into actual sales: you need website copywriting services to replace the existing words on your web pages

• You’re ready to turn your business blog into an SEO- and lead-generating machine with compelling industry-related articles being published regularly: you need blog writing services

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

Asking ‘what is a copywriter’ is totally fair. While I can guarantee that you read the work of dozens of copywriters on a daily basis without even realising it, you might not have heard much about this professional figure in itself. 

Trust me: when I tell people I’m a copywriter for female entrepreneurs, I still get replies like “oh, copyright? That thing inside books!”

Let’s shine a light on what a copywriter is since… spoiler alert? 

You totally need one for your badass brand.

A simple copywriter definition, written by a copywriter (yes, me)

So, what is a copywriter? It’s the person who crafts the written copy for a business’s marketing materials.

For example, just to name a few, a copywriter might write things like:

• Website copy 

• PPC ads

• Printed materials like leaflets and brochures

• Social media posts

• Email marketing campaigns

• …

Yes, copywriters are wordsmiths, but much different from fiction writers or journalists. 

We don’t write ‘pretty words’.

We write the right ones to help a business sell its products or services to a specific audience. 

What is copywriting in marketing?

Copywriting goes hand in hand with marketing since it involves the act or occupation of creating text for the purpose of promoting products, services, or a company’s image and brand awareness.

In fact, copywriting is usually optimised for one specific call to action. 

Most of the time? That’s to get customers to buy something. However, it could also be something else instead.

For example, the main call to action on your homepage could be to head to the ‘shop’ section or, if you’re trying to grow your mailing list, to subscribe to your newsletter. If you offer discovery calls, it could be to book one.

And so on.

But good copywriting will never let you leave a specific page without guiding you towards a specific action. 

And persuading you to take it, of course.

What is SEO copywriting?

Unless they’re only ever going to write printed materials like brochures, a copywriter must also master the art of SEO copywriting, nowadays.

This is because, if you want your business website to be found, the text on it must be optimised for the keywords that your target audience is actually googling.

For example, if your business involves a monthly delivery of a new novel, it’s probably going to be something like ‘book subscription box’.

However, you can’t just repeat that keyword all over your website.

You must find variations, similar ones, more specific keywords to use for your blog…

Most importantly, you must know exactly where to place them for your SEO juices to start flowing.

Not only that, but you must avoid stuffing your pages with too many keywords. If you don’t, UX will fly out of the window, and search engines will end up penalising you.

When you hire a copywriter? We eat SEO for breakfast (although I still prefer having pancakes on Sundays).

So, what is a copywriter?

Basically, a copywriter is an marketing-savvy expert who crafts compelling messages for your business and offers, translating boring features into unmissable benefits and getting your ideal clients to take action.

Who avoids vague statements (like “we offer business solutions”) and gives your audience clear, immediate information (“Arthritis? We’ve created an ergonomic keyboard so that you can type away without feeling sore”).

Who sells without sounding pushy.

Who helps you stand out.

Isn’t it crazy how powerful words can be?!

If you’re intrigued about this subject, you can always find out the difference between copywriting and content writing, too.

Wondering what the process is like? Here’s my simple guide on working with a copywriter.

How I can help your female-founded business as a copywriter 🔥

Now that we’ve answered the ‘what is a copywriter’ question and you know a bit more about the actual copywriter meaning too, do any of these points sound familiar?

• You already have a website for your female-founded business but it’s not attracting many visitors, and most of them leave without purchasing anything… not even leaving you their email address

• You haven’t got a website just yet but are working on it and need the right words for it

• You don’t know how to write SEO-friendly blog posts to help your business website smoothen the sales funnel and generate more leads organically

Let me solve them for you!

Once I know more about your current challenges, I’ll help you turn your female-founded business into THE go-to solution in your dream audience’s eyes.

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

If you’ve got a blog on your business website (hopefully you do, ’cause it’s not the early 00s anymore), you should consider developing some topic clusters and strong pillar pages.

Trust me: they’re like blog posts on steroids. 

What is a topic cluster?

A topic cluster (also known as a content cluster) is an SEO and inbound marketing strategy that consists of a group of interlinked blog posts built around a main pillar page.

Sounds complicated? It isn’t once you can picture it.

Basically:

• The pillar page usually targets a keyword with a higher search volume and covers a wider topic through an overview of several sub-topics

• Each of its headings or sections will then link to a separate blog post covering that specific sub-topic and targeting a smaller keyword

• Every single blog post included in your topic cluster (which can also be read as a standalone article) will then link back to your main pillar page. It goes both ways.

Could do with some pillar page examples to picture it?

Let’s say that you offer online workout videos. A topic cluster for your blog could look like this:

Why are topic clusters important?

Topic clusters are important because they help Google better understand what your business website is actually about while also improving UX.

As the name suggests, pillar content lays the foundation for a strong blogging strategy.

Topic clusters are helpful to both search engine crawlers and human readers:

• it’s easier for search engines to understand your website when you have tidy pillar pages and strong internal links

• your readers get a neat overview of a topic and can then choose to learn more about the sub-topic that matters to them (or vice versa) rather than being presented with a huuuuuuuuuuge block of text that tries to tell them everything about those subjects in one place

How do you create a topic cluster?

1. Pick the right topic for your pillar page

Your main topic shouldn’t be so broad that you could spend days talking about it (e.g. succulents) nor so niche that you wouldn’t be able to expand it through additional blog posts (e.g. Burro's Tail succulent).

The sweet spot is something in-between.

For example, if you sell houseplants, you could create a pillar page that rounds up the most popular types of succulent families and then link to blog posts that focus on each one.

2. Perform keyword research

You’ll need a main keyword for your pillar page and a different one for every article linked to it.

Keyword research is also important when it comes to using your audience’s language.

For example, ‘succulent families’ might be what an experienced gardener would call them. However, that only gets searched between 10 and 100 times a month in the UK.

‘Types of succulents’, on the other hand, gets 1K – 10K monthly searches. That’s what your potential customers are typing!

3. Write your pillar pages & the blog posts that link to it

Create a strong pillar page with an introduction, clear headings with your sub-topics, and a conclusion that wraps it all up.

For example, to put our pillar page example into practice, it could be a roundup of the ‘best types of succulents for your home’, and some of its sub-topics will be ‘Cactaceae succulents’, ‘Araceae succulents’, etc. 

Every section will offer a brief overview of that specific subject. For example, what makes that family of succulents different from others and whether or not they’re easy to care for.

Then, your ‘Cactaceae succulents’ section will link to a separate article on ‘the best Cactaceae succulents’. This blog post will include a more detailed description of this plant family and list specific succulents that fall within this category (and, of course, direct links to their product page on your website that sells succulents).

The important thing is that, as well as your pillar page linking to every related article, all the individual blog posts of your topic cluster must link back to it, too.

Need a hand with topic clusters and your company blog?

I can help!

I specialise in helping ambitious women entrepreneurs and female-founded businesses become THE go-to solution in their dream audience’s eyes.

With my blog writing services, I’ll create a strong strategy and write the actual blog posts for you, optimising them for SEO so that you can start growing your audience organically.

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

If you’re running your own badass brand, you’ve probably heard that you need to work with a copywriter at some point, but maybe, whilst smiling and nodding, you were actually wondering… what does a copywriter do?

And that’s totally fair!

When I tell people that I’m a website copywriter and blog writer for female entrepreneurs, I still get a fair share of confused reactions or the good old “oh, copyright? That thing inside books!”

Let me tell you a bit more about what copywriters do and, most importantly, what we can do for your business.

What does copywriting mean?

Copywriting means creating written content for marketing or advertising purposes, usually focusing on a specific call-to-action. 

Of course, this CTA is mainly centred around selling, but it could also be something like signing up for a newsletter or registering for a webinar.

Copywriting exists both in print and online, as well as across a variety of media and platforms (for example, websites, social media, leaflets, PPC, etc.).

Sometimes, for the sake of simplicity, copywriting is used as an umbrella term that includes blog posts and other forms of content writing and marketing. 

However, technically, there’s a difference between copywriting and content writing:

the former is meant to convert immediately, whereas the latter is a long-term strategy to build trust and grow an audience through free, high-quality content.

What does a copywriter do?

A copywriter creates the written text (copy) and marketing materials to help a business promote its products or services, generating leads and converting them into sales.

Anything about your business that happens to be in a written form? That’s a copywriter’s bread and butter.

You might think you can do it all on your own because nobody knows your small business like you do, but trust me: copywriting is more than just ‘writing’! 

What copywriters do isn’t writing pretty words. 

It’s writing the right ones for your specific target audience.

Rather than blow your own trumpet like we often end up doing when we talk about ourselves or our business, copywriters like me help you repackage your offer to make it sound appealing to your dream customers.

For example, instead of writing your entire homepage talking about your company history and describing every single feature of your products, I’d start by boiling down an overly complicated message to a simple but attention-grabbing sentence that showcases what you do and how this benefits your target audience.

The rest of the page would then give them more context, build trust through facts and social proof rather than just stating how great you are, show them how life will feel once they invest in you (hint: so much better!), and give them an unmissable call to action.

Oh, and what does a copywriter do when it comes to online copy? They must also be skilled in SEO (search engine optimisation) and optimise your online copy for search engines, or else… nobody will find your website to begin with!

What does a freelance copywriter do?

A freelance copywriter does what an in house copywriter does, except that you don’t have to pay for our holidays, sick days, pension, insurance, and office equipment.

An in-house copywriter is a handy option for large companies that can afford to pay an additional employee and that need great quantities of copy across different formats almost every day.

On the other hand, outsourcing specific tasks to freelance copywriters is a wiser and much more cost-effective option for solopreneurs and small businesses, as you only pay for what you actually want and only when you need it.

Types of freelance copywriters

If, as well as ‘what does a copywriter do’, you’re curious as to what types of copywriters you can choose to work with, here are the three main ones:

• Jacks-of-all-trades: a generic copywriter is the most similar to in-house employees because they will write any kind of copy for any type of business or industry. However, you obviously only pay them for the projects that you require, or you might even be able to hire them for a set number of hours every month

• Niche copywriters by industry: these copywriters usually focus on all kinds of copy, but only for a specific industry or type of business (e.g. medical copywriter)

• Niche copywriters by type of copy: these copywriters specialise in creating content for a specific medium or platform. For example, website copywriters or email copywriters

What I do as a copywriter for badass female-founded brands

As a freelance copywriter who has niched down by type of audience and copy, I turn ambitious female entrepreneurs into THE go-to solution in their audience’s eyes.

My core services are:

• Website copywriting: new website copy that simplifies your message, attracts your dream customers through Google, and turns more visits into leads and sales

• Blogging: stop wasting time writing blog posts that don't drive results! Instead, start generating more relevant traffic and leads while establishing yourself as an expert in your field

So, what does a copywriter do? In a nutshell, we turn your offer into the most compelling message for your ideal clients and get them to take action

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

The words on your business website should be there to help you ATTRACT your dream audience and CONVERT those valuable visits into leads or sales.

Sadly, many companies fail at this because of some website copywriting mistakes. This one in particular is my pet peeve, especially since it’s actually SO easy to avoid once you know about it! 

Have you got it on your website, too? Let’s find out.

One of the most common website copywriting mistakes: a weak and vague opening

Your home page is sort of like your elevator pitch.

Does it feature the most overly complicated and ridiculously vague website copy? Then it’ll make your potential customers wish they had taken the (competitor’s) stairs instead!

Vague as to what you actually do…

‘Synergy.’ ‘Solutions.’ ‘Cutting-edge company.’

All the overused buzzwords of someone’s industry but… no clue as to what this company actually does. 

This is one of the most common website copywriting mistakes, so I’m pretty sure you’ve bumped into such copy yourself, at some point.

You land on the home page, are presented with a vague mission statement, have to scroll down for a few minutes in order to understand what this company actually sells, or… you don’t even bother scrolling down in the first place. After all, why should you? Your time is precious. 

If this company is already wasting it, it’s much more convenient to jump onto a competitor’s website that’s immediately clear about their USP.

… and vague as to who that’s for

If there’s one thing that’s worse than ‘solutions’ is ‘solutions for everyone.’

“We work with any company.”

“Our product is perfect for everyone.”

I totally understand that, when you’re a woman solopreneur or a female-founded business, it’s easy to get scared thinking that, by niching down, you could miss out on more sales.

However, the opposite is actually true!

When you try to please everyone, you please no one.

If your home page doesn’t immediately convey who your products or services are for, how can people identify with them?

Or, better: what problems or theirs can you solve?

Why this website copywriting mistake is costing you money

Here’s the harsh but absolutely necessary truth. Ready for the red pill?

Your customers don’t care about you. They care about what your products or services can do for them. 

If the above-the-fold website copy (aka what you can see before scrolling down) on your home page doesn’t tell them that, why should they bother with you?

They haven’t got time to scroll down and decipher your cryptic website copy peppered with cliches, buzzwords, and vague statements.

They need to find that out immediately and have a “hey, this is exactly what I was looking for” kind of moment.

If you try to appeal to everyone, nobody will experience it.

How to avoid this website copywriting mistake or fix your vague above-the-fold section [Be clear and specific!]

Here are some actionable tips that will help you set yourself apart from your competitors and make the right impression on your new website visitors.

1. Reread your home page copy with fresh eyes

First of all, be strong and check whether or not this applies to your business website.

Open it right now. Looking at it as if you were seeing it for the very first time, ask yourself:

• Is my above-the-fold copy powerful enough to make my visitors want to scroll down to find out more?

• Is it clear enough for them to understand what I actually do and how this relates to them?

If not, don’t worry: we can fix this popular website copywriting mistake!

2. Make your first couple of sentences immediate and audience-oriented

• Start by reminding yourself who your specific target audience is. If you don’t know, you must definitely conduct some market research before tweaking your website copy

• Remember that the first thing your visitors should see once they land on your home page is a short but clear sentence that conveys what you do and how this benefits them

• If needed, some explainer copy to give them a bit more context

Once they scroll down, the rest of your home page website copy should be still clear, speak directly to your dream audience, and showcase how your products/services will solve their pain point.

However, you first need your opening to be show-stopping.

And trust me: this doesn’t have to be boring. 

You don’t necessarily have to say “We create meal kit deliveries for time-poor people” (although that’s still MUCH better than “We offer dinner solutions to everyone”).

Excellent copy can convey the very same concept in less predictable ways. For example: “Craving restaurant-worthy dishes but are short of time? We’ve got you!”

Then the explainer copy can give them a bit more context. 

3. Get inspired by websites with excellent above-the-fold copy

To get you started, here are some examples of companies doing it right:

It’s not a ‘reading solution’ or just another book subscription box. It’s for readers who want to discover new authors and more ‘underground’ stories rather than sticking to the most popular reads. 

And they don’t even have to waste time finding them, because this service will handpick them and send them straight to them.

This website is specific as to what they offer: indoor plants (not just plants, or gardening solutions… indoor plants only), and they manage to get you excited about using them to decorate your home.

This meal kit delivery company immediately showcases its focus on quick but healthy food to attract time-poor customers who don’t want to eat badly.

Facetheory clearly targets vegan and eco-conscious customers but makes it clear to them that this choice won’t mean compromising on the levels of quality and satisfaction that they’re used to.

Pretty cool, right?

Need help fixing other website copywriting mistakes for your badass female-founded brand? 🙌

Now that you’ve discovered what website copywriting mistake had been sabotaging you right from the start, is there anything else that needs improving?

• Start receiving tips and content prompts to connect with your dream audience through your marketing copy

• If you’ve realised your current website copy hasn’t been helping you attract more prospects and turn them into leads and sales, let’s replace it with words that will

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

Suffering from blank page syndrome? Has your company blog been gathering cobwebs? Then hiring a blog writer is definitely the right game-changing solution for your female-founded business!

Yes, not just your company blog itself: your entire business. 

From SEO to leads, here are the main benefits of hiring a blog writer.

1. A blog writer will turn your ‘company news’ into a successful content marketing strategy

Far too many companies have a “blog” (sorry, but the inverted commas are needed) that they use for company news. Then, the same companies dare to complain that ‘blogging doesn’t work’ because they didn’t get more website traffic nor converted it into leads and sales.

Who in their right mind would google ‘February Achievements of Company X’, spend some precious ten minutes of their lives reading about them blowing their own trumpet, and think “you know what? I can’t wait to buy from them!”?

That’s not how a business blog is meant to work, and a professional blog writer knows that.

A successful blog is one that’s packed full of articles on relevant industry-related topics that educate, entertain or answer the specific questions of a business’s target audience.

A blog writer will create a custom content marketing strategy and write about subjects that your dream customers are already googling, like ‘7 Easy Ways to Create an Urban Jungle in a Small Flat’ if you sell plants or ‘How to Choose Among Light, Medium and Dark Roasts’ if you’re there to fuel their coffee addiction.

2. You won’t have to worry about content creation or blank page syndrome

For a blog to give you tangible results, it must be updated regularly. Not once every few months when you magically remember about it.

However, coming up with so much high-quality content, performing all the keyword research, writing the actual articles, and uploading them together with some pictures… it all takes a freakin’ lot of time!

Plus, if content writing and SEO aren’t your thing, you’ll probably end up staring at the screen for longer than you wish.

When you hire a blog writer, they’ll take aaaaaaaaaall of that away from your workload.

3. They will create the right blog posts for your target audience (no fluff!)

A blog shouldn’t be used to write for the sake of writing. 

‘Oh, I’ve just written three blog posts about our new product!’ 

Ok, but does that actually benefit your target audience? Are they already interested in that topic?

If not, you’ve just wasted a few hours of your time.

Instead, one of the benefits of hiring a blog writer is that they’ll craft articles with your specific target audience in mind.

This goes beyond superficial misconceptions such as ‘I sell clothes so I’ll just write about fashion, catwalks, and trends.’ That’s too broad! 

What’s your USP, and who’s your target audience?

For example, if the clothes you sell are made ethically and in an eco-friendly way, as a blog writer I’d create content around topics such as: switching from fast to slow fashion, identifying the most sustainable materials, how to make clothes last longer, etc. 

See? If you’re virtually talking to eco-conscious customers, catwalks and trends that lead to tons of waste would certainly backfire.

4. They will help you rank for more keywords

A professional blog writer is also skilled at SEO. 

That’s why you won’t just get pretty words on a page: every single one of your blog posts will be optimised for a specific long-tail keyword and relevant variations.

After all, there are only so many keywords that you can realistically hope to rank for with your main website pages (e.g. if you’re a stationery store based in London but delivering worldwide, they’ll be something like ‘London stationery’, ‘stationery shop London’, ‘best stationery’, etc).

However, when you think that every blog post is also a new website page, you can now realistically target dozens of new keywords.

For example, ‘12 Stationery Gift Ideas for Your Writer Friend’.

If you were to blog once a week, that’s 52 new keywords by the end of the year!

5. They will boost the overall SEO of your small business website

The benefits of blogging for business go beyond these keywords. In fact, the right content strategy will help your entire website rank higher!

This is because:

• More website pages show search engines that you have plenty of relevant content;

• Websites with blogs receive an average of 97% more inbound links than those without them;

• You can easily add internal links that help search engines better understand your sitemap.

Find out more about how blogging helps your website SEO.

6. They will give you a ton of content for your socials & newsletter

Stop thinking of your blog, social media, and newsletter as three separate watertight compartments!

When you can rely on a professional blog writer, you’ll also have plenty of content to share on your platforms. 

7. They will increase your lead generation

Blog posts that are correctly optimised for SEO allow you to generate more traffic via search engines, but not just any traffic: the right one!

By attracting your specific target audience onto your website, a freelance blogger for hire will help you generate more leads. For example, whenever relevant, I add a call to action about subscribing to their newsletter at the end of the blog posts I write for my clients.

Sharing them on socials? Then you can generate even more traffic and leads!

To give you an idea, websites with blogs have a 67% higher lead generation.

8. They will help you retain your audience

Your customers are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages every day, so you most definitely can’t expect them to follow every single company. So how do you get them to pick you? 

You keep bringing them value with your content, and a blog is a fantastic way to do so, especially if you share your articles on your newsletter and socials, too.

9. They will position you as a thought-leading expert in your field

Before deciding to buy from you instead of one of your competitors, your audience needs to trust you. 

They need to think that you’re the very best at what you do. And how can you convince them?

Easy: you blog about relevant industry-related topics that showcase your expertise.

10. Collaborating with a blog writer is cheaper than an in-house solution

Another excellent benefit of hiring a blog writer is that they’ll only charge you for the blog posts themselves. That’s it. 

You don’t need to pay for their software, pension, equipment, holidays, or anything like that.

We do all of that ourselves.

11. A professional blog writer will free you up more time to focus on other aspects of your business

Finally, when you hire someone to write blog posts, you no longer have to worry about the writing and content creation side of things.

This will save you a ton of time that you can use to do whatever it is that you do best when it comes to your badass female-founded business.

Nice one!

Now that you know more about the benefits of hiring a blog writer, are you ready to unlock them?

I help ambitious women entrepreneurs and female-founded businesses become THE go-to solution in their dream audience’s eyes.

From planning the right articles to writing them and optimising everything for SEO, I can take care of your blog so that you can start seeing some actual results.

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

From “oh, it’s the same as sales” for marketing to “anyone can act” for the arts industry, every sector is plagued by some kind of misconceptions.

Copywriting is no different!

If you’re a badass female-founded brand looking to hire a marketing-savvy wordsmith, let me bust these copywriting myths. That way, you can avoid disappointment and save yourself both time and money.

COPYWRITING MYTH #1: ‘Copywrite’ is the same as ‘copyright’

“Oh, you’re a copyrighter? That’s the thing inside books, the one with the little letter inside the circle, right?”

No. 

While it might sound pretty much the same:

• copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects its owner against other people stealing their work

• a copywriter is a word-wizard or witch who writes marketing material for another business

COPYWRITING MYTH #2. Every writer is a copywriter

Before you get your website copy written by that cousin of yours who published a YA trilogy a few years ago, let me save you some valuable time and money: not every writer is a copywriter.

Sure, some people can be both.

Since my virtual colleagues obviously love words, it’s not rare to find someone who’s both a copywriter and an author, journalist, or poet (*insert shameless promotion of my own fiction and poetry books*).

However, being an author or a journalist doesn’t automatically make you a copywriter. That’s just a dangerous copywriting myth!

The former writes words to entertain, the latter to sell.

Rather than a traditional author, a copywriter is more similar to a marketer: they must be able to understand your target audience and how to best convey what your amazeballs product can do for them!

You don’t just pay them to write pretty sentences: you invest in their expertise and results.

And that’s why they’re more expensive than your cousin.

COPYWRITING MYTH #3. Copy? Sounds like plagiarism

Don’t worry: a professional copywriter doesn’t plagiarise other people’s work (the one you pay £5 on UpWork for a 1000-word article probably will).

In marketing, ‘copy’ simply refers to promotional material in a written form.

This misconception led to another popular copywriting myth: that copy is exactly the same as content (and, consequently, that ‘copywriter’ is the same as ‘content writer’).

If you’re curious, here’s the difference between copywriting and content writing.

COPYWRITING MYTH #4. A good copywriter will make my marketing materials all about how great I am...

Here’s the thing: nobody wakes up in the morning wishing to be bombarded with thousands of ads telling them how great company A is.

What do they really want to know, I hear you ask? How to solve that problem that’s been in the back of their head for weeks when it comes to your industry.

If company A doesn’t tell them that because they’re too busy talking about their fifteen years of experience, awards, and their entire history, they’ll go to company B, the one that puts their needs first.

Think about it! 

If you were looking for an eco-friendlier alternative to your morning cuppa, which landing page copy do you think would grab your attention?

• Company A: “As a company with over twenty years of experience in the tea industry, we offer the best range of products on the market, all packaged inside unbleached cornstarch bags.”

• Company B: “Your usual plastic-lined tea bag releases 11.6bn microplastic particles into your cup. Yuck! Be kinder to your stomach and your all-time favourite sea animal by switching to our plastic-free teabags.”

Company B, right? Thought so.

COPYWRITING MYTH #5. … and will use the most sophisticated jargon and big words

Don’t get me wrong: this really depends on your industry and clientele, but… 9.99 times out of 10? Big words and technical jargon will only put off your audience.

An ace copywriter knows that you have around 2 seconds to grab someone’s attention and 8 to keep it: they ain’t gonna waste a single one of them on vague or confusing words!

You need a copywriter who can write like your target audience speaks and translate even the most complicated features into clear, bite-sized messages. 

COPYWRITING MYTH #6. I can get a copywriter for £5 on Fiverr

Technically, you can... just like you can get a £5 fast fashion dress that was made inside sweatshops by underpaid garment workers, using toxic pesticides and dyes, and designed to fall apart after a few wearings.

Or you can choose a £50 dress made of sustainable linen by garment workers who aren’t kept in modern slavery conditions, using only natural dyes, and designed to last you for decades.

When you pay an overworked copywriter £5 or so, you’re buying just that: words on a page. Good copy requires time and an actual strategy! 

A professional copywriter will take the time to:

• understand your target audience

• familiarise themselves with your brand

• use your tone of voice to ensure consistency

• research the subject thoroughly

• add something new rather than just copy and paste whatever they could find on your competitors’ websites

You most certainly can’t expect them to do all this for £5. 

Excellent copy costs more than what content mills like Fiverr or UpWork would have you believe, but it’s oh-so-worth-it because it’s a profitable investment.

You’re no longer buying pretty words: you’re buying the right ones. The ones that will convert into sales.

Spending less will basically cost you more money in the long run because you’ll miss out on lead generation and sales, becoming white noise.

COPYWRITING MYTH #7. Surely [insert number of words] can’t take that long or cost that much money!

Again, it really depends on what ‘words’ we’re talking about. 

Churning out a thousand words per hour without conducting proper research nor taking your target audience and the bigger picture into account?

Sure, that doesn’t take long.

But it also won’t bring you more customers or sales.

A shorter 300-word website page written to attract your specific target audience, stop them from clicking away, and convince them that you’re the coolest kid on the block? That actually takes a lot longer.

Still, the point is:

The value of your copy shouldn’t only be measured by the number of words that it involves or by how long it took to craft it. What matters is the results that it can bring you.

An example? The iconic ‘just do it’ slogan helped Nike increase its share of domestic sport-shoe business from 18% to 43%.

Would you have seriously expected to pay £0.25 per word for it? Or to tell them “but it must only have taken you five minutes to come up with it”?

Yeah, didn’t think so.

(And also, it takes WAY longer than five minutes to come up with a slogan like ‘just do it’. Just saying.)

COPYWRITING MYTH #8. Copywriters should give me a free sample

And restaurants should give you a free starter before you decide to order a main course and dessert, right?

Nope.

Free samples don’t pay our bills. 

However, a professional copywriter knows that you’d like to get a feel of our writing before committing to a purchase.

We get it.

That’s why most of us have a portfolio on our copywriting website. And guess what?

It’s sull of samples.

That you can check out.

Like.. for free.

COPYWRITING MYTH #9. I don’t need to send a brief to a copywriter

Here’s the most ‘shocking’ copywriting myth debunked:

copywriters can’t read minds.

Sorry. We’re not Edward Cullen in Twilight.

You can’t just tell us “write an article on succulents”. 

We need to know A LOT MORE than that. For example, who it’s for and how this project fits with your overall marketing strategy. We should also be given your brand guidelines or a piece of your own copy to match your existing tone.

This will also save you a ton of time by allowing us to send you a first draft that’s 99% there!

The worst ‘brief’ I’ve received so far?

“Make it more marketing.”

COPYWRITING MYTH #10. A copywriter for my website or blog doesn’t need to know about SEO

“Oh, I don’t need SEO. I already had someone doing it when I built my website.”

Every time you say something like that, an SEO copywriter out there pours themselves another cup of coffee just to have the strength to deal with this blasphemy for the umpteenth time… but will still bang their head against the keyboard.

If you have a website, I assume you want new people to find it, right? Then your copywriter or content writer MUST know how to include search engine optimisation within your website copy and blog posts. 

That way, you have higher chances of being found through the right keywords. Why pay for something that nobody will see?!

So, there you go. These are the most common myths about copywriting that I’ve encountered so far.

I hope they’ve helped you gain a better understanding of my crazy industry (I still love it, though)!

What now?

There are three main ways I can help you generate more leads and sales through the words on your business website:

• sending you tips and content prompts through my newsletter

• replacing your corporate-sounding words with some audience-oriented and SEO-friendly website copy

• taking care of your blog by writing the right articles for your specific audience, smoothening your sales funnel, and making you stand out against your competitors

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