There has never been more content on the internet, and less of it worth reading. For a small business, that’s actually good news — genuinely useful, plainly written content stands out more than ever.

Answer a real question

Every piece of content should start with a question someone is genuinely asking. Not a keyword — a question. “How much does a website cost?” is a question. “Web design services pricing solutions” is not.

Write for the person who typed that question at 9pm on their phone because they need to solve a problem.

Lead with the answer

The most common mistake is burying the point. Readers decide in seconds whether to continue. Give the answer in your first two sentences, then explain the detail.

Write like a human

  • Use short sentences. Then use a long one, deliberately.
  • Contractions are fine. “Don’t” beats “do not” every time.
  • Use real examples from your actual work
  • Admit what you don’t know
  • Delete any sentence that exists purely to hit a word count

Be specific

Specificity is what makes content credible. “Fast, reliable service” means nothing. “We respond to every email within one business day, and we’ll tell you if we can’t do something rather than take the job and disappear” is a promise a customer can hold you to.

Make it skimmable

Most people scan before they commit. Use short paragraphs, descriptive headings, and lists where lists make sense. Each section should make sense on its own.

One idea per piece

It’s tempting to cover everything. Resist it. A single piece that thoroughly answers one question is far more useful — and far more likely to be shared or linked — than a shallow article that touches on twelve topics.

The AI question

AI can absolutely help with the mechanics — outlining, first drafts, repurposing, tightening. What it can’t do is know your business, your customers, or what you’ve learned the hard way. That’s your advantage, and it’s a bigger one than it used to be.

The test

Before you publish, ask: would I send this to a customer directly? Would I be comfortable if my competitors read it? If either answer is no, it needs more work.

Need a hand with this? We write content this way for our own clients — see how our services work, or talk to us about your own site.