Starting a business is a thrilling, yet often a stressful, chapter in the lives of those who dare to make the move from employee to entrepreneur. There is a lot to think about. Beyond defining your target market and perfecting your product or service, the biggest challenge of all is finding potential customers and converting them into full-fledged clients.

One crucial element you need to nail before you start pushing any of your web pages through social media and press kits is your web copy.

Without web copy that can really capture the essence of your brand—your USP and unique story—you will experience a tough time converting web visitors to customers.

Thankfully, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on top-notch copywriters.

DIY Web Copy Tips

If you are confident with words, you can create compelling copy yourself, and convey your message whilst tempting readers into making a purchase.

Here’s a look at how to do it:

1. Get super clear on your target market.

First of all, step away from the keyboard! Don’t type a letter until you are crystal clear on who you are talking to with your copy. Remember: if you try to be all things to all people you won’t be anything to anybody.

Online and offline, we are always looking to connect with people. We want to connect with the people we interact with in-store, and we want to connect with businesses we deal with over the Internet.

Get to know your audience so you can write in a way that really connects with who they are and what they want from life.

As you do your market research, take note of the language and tone your target market uses so you can emulate it. You want them to think: Wow, this person really gets me!

2. Get your headlines right.

Never underestimate the power of a headline. As the “father” of advertising, David Ogilvy, once said: On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.

If you want to increase the eyeballs on your web copy and articles you need to get your headlines right! You don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. Try some of the already proven headline formats. Focus on results.

Remember that all potential customers reach you with a problem they wish to be solved.

How can you focus your copy on the results your product or service will provide? How will it ease their pain points?

For example: If you run a social media consultancy, you don’t need to provide details on the exact systems you use to ensure clients receive perfectly tailored content that will engage existing followers and round-up new ones.