What's the biggest mistake in small business website copy?
Leading with the business instead of the customer. "We have 20 years of experience in plumbing services" tells a visitor about the business; "Same-day plumbing repairs, done right the first time" tells them what they get. Visitors skim for relevance to their problem, not a company history lesson.
How should a homepage headline actually be written?
A strong headline states the core benefit in plain language within the first few words a visitor reads — before they've decided whether to keep scrolling. If a visitor can't tell what you do and who it's for within five seconds, the headline isn't working.
Why does jargon hurt conversions?
Industry jargon makes copy sound impressive to insiders and confusing to everyone else — and everyone else is who's buying. Plain, specific language ("fixes your slow drain today," not "comprehensive plumbing solutions") consistently outperforms vague, formal phrasing.
What makes a call-to-action actually get clicked?
Specificity and low commitment. "Get a free quote" outperforms "Submit" or "Learn more" because it tells the visitor exactly what happens next and that it costs them nothing to find out. Every page should have one clear, specific next step — not three competing options.
How much copy is too much?
Less than most business owners think. Visitors scan, they don't read paragraph by paragraph. Short sentences, bullet points for scannable details, and generous white space consistently outperform dense blocks of text — even when the dense version contains better information.