Small business · Websites · Blogs · Email
Content for businesses without a marketing department.
Website copy, articles and emails for businesses without a marketing department: builders, accountants, shops, studios and practices. The work is saying what you do, for whom and at what price, in the words a customer would use to search for it.
What most small business websites get wrong
They talk about themselves. "We are a family-run firm committed to excellence." Nobody searched for that. They searched for "composite doors Maidenhead", "do I need to register for VAT" or "emergency plumber near me", and they want to know within a few seconds whether you can help and what happens next.
Good small business copy answers that: what you do, for whom, where, roughly what it costs, what the first step is, and why they should choose you over the other firms they are comparing.
What I've done
- Email campaigns for the Royal Mint's coin and medal releases
- Content for five e-commerce sites at once for a design agency: blogs, press releases and social
- Buyer's guides for the Federation of Master Builders and the Independent on windows, doors, solar and renewables, the questions your customers are asking
- Blogs and articles for builders, plumbers, accountants, cycling and camping businesses, interior designers and a workplace safety firm
- Content management for startups, helping small sites grow to hundreds of thousands of readers
How it works
A call, usually half an hour. I ask what you do, who your best customers are, what they ask before they buy, and what you are tired of explaining. Then I write the pages, you check them, and we edit until they sound like you, with no limit on revisions. The price is fixed and agreed before I start, and there is no retainer unless you want ongoing articles.
Sam is extremely talented and does not need much direction to get the job done perfectly the first time.
Upwork review, "Writer for entrepreneurship blog"
This project was our first time working with Sam. We had a great experience both in terms of communication and professionalism and the quality of the final output.
Upwork review, "Content writer for ongoing blogs and articles, UK residential building industry"
Sam did a great job with the blog post. It was well researched and written. Would definitely recommend him.
Upwork review, "Content writer with knowledge of plumbing industry"
The point
Say what you do, in plain words, where people are searching
For most small businesses that is the whole strategy, and few do it. Those that do get the enquiries.
Start with a call →Questions people ask
Questions about small business content
How much does website copy cost for a small business?
A typical five-to-eight page site (home, about, services, contact and a few service pages) is a fixed-price project in the low thousands of pounds, agreed up front after a short call. Single pages and blog articles are priced individually. I'll always tell you what I think you need and what you can skip.
Do I need a blog for my small business?
Only if it answers the questions your customers already ask. A plumber's guide to boiler pressure or an accountant's explainer on the VAT threshold will rank and bring enquiries for years. A monthly post about company news will not. I will say honestly which you need.
Can you write in our voice?
Yes. I read everything you have written, talk to whoever answers the phone, and write the way your best customer conversation sounds. Trades, practices and shops have a voice already; the job is getting it onto the page.
Do you do the SEO as well?
Yes. Every page and article comes with its target search terms, headings, meta description and internal links in place, and is structured so Google and AI search can find the answer. Local terms included where they matter.
Can you work with our web designer?
Happily. I deliver copy in a shared document, page by page, with notes on headings and layout, and I'll go into WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace or Wix myself if that's easier.