How to Write a (Business) Website From Scratch: Your Jumping Off Point
First, congratulations! You’re entering a creative process and on your way to launching a website, which is more than a screen interface. It’s an extension of your work, a team member, and it gets to be shaped by your vision.
Remember that. And take as much enthusiasm as possible with you on the journey so that it leaks into what you create. Enthusiasm tempered with flexibility. Because most likely, you’ll encounter some kind of ‘setback’ at every turn. If you expect challenges, and if you’re willing to wiggle and persist, they won’t be so daunting. You’ll pivot or flex and you’ll keep going with…
ENTHUSIASM!
Writing Has Its Place
Remember the first websites? They were mostly words with bullet points and blue hyperlinked words and few graphics.
Now websites are stitched carefully together with design—images and icons and effects. Design and UX (user experience) are an essential component of how we interact with content, and whether we stay or go.
It’s obvious—the market is vastly different now than it was in 2001. We have options. Tons and tons and tons of options.
So naturally, we rely heavily on first impressions. If a page doesn’t load quickly, you exit quickly. You go on down the list. If it’s not fast or easy to navigate, you’re pretty confident you have other, better options. If you can’t read the words, or if it looks sketchy, you’re moving on.
But no matter how brilliant and catchy, how easy to peruse or breathtakingly beautiful a website is, it’s still useless without good writing and careful planning.
Not investing time or effort (or the money for someone else’s time and effort) into the writing will impact your sales, reputation, and overall impact. As with design, the words you choose to express your story, your business, and your mission will drastically affect whether someone stays or goes.
WARNING for DIYers: You’re going to want to do the design and copy together, tweaking the text while picking images, adding sections after you’ve already written the whole page…but crafting both design and copy without a plan will complicate things.
You’ll be way better off planning the structure of your content, then filling it in with the words (and only the words), and then fully developing the site.
Here’s your step-by-step guide to planning and writing a website from the ground up.
Step One: Set Clear Goals
Before anything else, get crystal clear on the purpose of your website. Why are you building it? What action do you want visitors to take? Every decision you make from here on out, whether for design or content, should be guided by these goals.
Ask yourself:
Who is my target audience? Imagine them, picture their needs, and think about what they’ll be looking for.
What do I want them to do? Whether it’s reading a blog, booking a consultation, or signing up for a newsletter, define the actions you want visitors to take.
What’s my brand personality? Flesh out your tone and voice. Are you aiming for friendly and conversational? Professional and authoritative?
By asking these questions first and setting goals, you’re laying the foundation for a cohesive, purposeful website that speaks directly to your audience.
Step Two: Map Out Your Pages
Before you dive into writing, start with a clear map of your main pages. Your homepage is your storefront—and first impressions matter. You have a lot of creative freedom here, and one objective: Give people a reason to stay (for what you offer).
From there, outline the essential pages that will (1) give visitors what they need, and (2) give you room to express what makes your brand special.
Common examples:
About Page:
An about page is one of the best places to build trust. You can list credentials and relevant logistical info, but you can also share a bit of your story, show the human side of your brand, and help visitors feel connected to your mission.
Services Page:
Here’s a well-known not-secret: People go to your services page ready to be sold to. This is your chance to shine. Present what you offer, but focus on the value you bring to the client—how will they benefit?
Blog or Resources Section:
Blogs are great for SEO, but they also help build trust and authority. You can offer valuable insights, tips, or how-to guides that show you know your stuff. Plus, free content can establish you as a reliable resource and keep people coming back.
Portfolio or Work:
Display previous work, case studies, or client projects to showcase your expertise and results. If you present each one in story form, you encourage people to see themselves experiencing your amazing work.
Contact Page:
Do more than provide information for reaching out. Include links to social media channels, include FAQs, reassure people with social proof/testimonials, etc.
FAQs:
Answer common questions about your brand, products, services, or processes, reducing customer inquiries and easing visitors’ concerns.
Privacy Policies/Terms of Service:
Do your research for what’s legally required for your business. These pages explain how user data is collected, stored, and protected, ensuring transparency and compliance with privacy laws, and outline the rules and guidelines for using the website, protecting the business legally and clarifying rights and responsibilities for both parties.
*Each page should have a clear purpose. Avoid the trap of adding filler content—if you wouldn’t click on it yourself, scrap it.
Step Three: Plan Your Content Structure
Instead of jumping right into the nitty gritty of your content, outline the flow first. This step will save you a lot of time (and second-guessing) later.
Before writing each page, determine its goal: What do you want the visitor to understand, feel, or do? Once you’re clear on that, outline the main sections and decide on their order. Think about the “scannable” sections—headings, subheadings, bullet points—that will help guide the reader and make your content easy to digest.
For example, on a Services Page, you might break it down like this:
Opening Statement: What do you do, and why does it matter?
Key Services: Briefly explain each service in a way that shows the benefit to the reader.
Testimonials or Social Proof: Show that you’re trusted—subtly, but with impact.
Call to Action: What should they do next? Book a consultation? Download a guide? Make it clear and specific.
By laying out your sections in a logical flow, you’re creating a guide for visitors, helping them absorb information naturally rather than overwhelming them with a wall of text.
Step Four: Write with Purpose and Clarity
Now that you have a structure, it’s time to bring the words to life.
Remember, people often skim before they commit. Keep paragraphs short and focus on clear, impactful language that speaks directly to your ideal customer. Avoid jargon, unless you’re sure it’s relevant, and opt for words anyone can understand.
I said for your homepage that you have one overarching goal: Give people a reason to stay (for what you offer).
This is how ChatGPT says to write it: A clear, compelling headline paired with concise, benefits-focused messaging.
Why bring AI into this? Because it summarizes the status quo, or in other words—the expected.
For many businesses, expected is good. Clear is crucial. Selling pet extermination services? You’ll want to prioritize a professional appearance, a clear list of services, a way to contact you (quickly), and maybe a personal touch to make visitors feel good about trusting you.
Does it need to be more complicated or catchy than that? Not really. In fact, complicated and (attempts at) catchy could make people bounce to the next name on their Google search page.
But if you’re a startup selling another SaaS tool in a saturated market? In this case, unexpected may be a game-changer.
Step Five: Optimize for SEO without Losing Your Voice
SEO might feel like the buzzword you can’t escape, but the truth is, it matters if you want people to actually find your website. The trick is to integrate SEO naturally without sounding like a robot.
Choose keywords that reflect what your audience would search for (think “flea exterminator” or “hypoallergenic dog food”), and use them strategically:
Place the primary keyword for each page in the title and first paragraph.
Use it a few times throughout the page, but don’t overdo it—focus on flow and readability.
Optimize headers and image alt text with relevant terms.
Good SEO is about balance. Think of it as giving search engines a few “signals” without letting them run the show. You’re still writing for humans, first and foremost.
Step Six: Polish and Proofread (Then Proof Again)
The last step is to make sure everything is as polished as possible. Read through each page as if you’re a visitor encountering your brand for the first time. Ask yourself: am I finding what I need? Am I feeling anything? What’s missing?
Proofread for any spelling or grammatical errors, of course, but also for flow and clarity. Sometimes reading your content out loud can reveal awkward phrasing or areas where things don’t connect.
And when in doubt, get a second set of eyes on it. Fresh feedback can catch things you might have missed.
Like I said…
This is your jumping-off point.
Building a website from scratch can feel overwhelming, and while just starting is probably the most important step to take—a little planning and strategy will save you time and stress. That’s where these steps come in, with a very high-level breakdown so you can tackle each one and understand the bigger picture.
A well-crafted website isn’t just about pretty pictures and clever text. It’s about creating a space that feels like an extension of your brand, a reassuring handshake that invites people to stick around, to come back, to bring their friends.
But above all, remember to feed and encourage and build your enthusiasm. It’ll keep you strong throughout your harrowing adventure, and carry you through to a satisfying conclusion.
Happy writing,