I’ve got a longer piece of copy for us to look at today. But I promise if you have a quick read, you’ll pick up loads of solid-gold tips for your own website copy. I won’t intro the brand, I’ll let them do it for us.

*My Beautiful Caravan is a bold and bright, teeny-weeny (but perfectly formed) independent boutique, located in the popular coastal town of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.*
Opened in March 2014, MBC has a welcoming, retro vibe. We specialise in cool cards and quirky, design-led gifts for every occasion: gorgeous stationery, lovely homewares, great gifts for men, unusual things for kids, beautiful jewellery and so much more! We choose high-quality products we believe in, including a good assortment of Scottish gifts, handmade items, and some exclusive goodies made just for us. Passionate about great design old and new, we just love championing the little guys too – look out for things you haven’t seen before from smaller makers…
Our amazing customers have been asking us for years if we have a website. Well, we do now! So grab yourself a cuppa, maybe a custard cream or four, and enjoy. We hope you have a very pleasant home shopping experience, and please don’t hesitate to contact our bricks-and-mortar store with any questions about our products – we’re here to help.
*Happy Shopping, Caravanners!*

Don’t you feel warm, fuzzy and welcomed? Don’t you want to go and see their shop? Don’t you want to have a chat with the owner and buy a few things? Yeah, me too.

Now, it’s easy when analysing copy and writing about it to only pick out examples from the big dogs. The huge brands that probably have a copywriting team or an agency that picks up all their writing tasks. But many of you who read this are small business owners. So why not look at a small business that’s absolutely nailing copy while standing out, being themselves and not getting lost in the corporate beige?

Why does it work?

It has an optimistic and uplifting feel thanks to words like ‘popular’, ‘amazing’, ‘gorgeous’, ‘lovely’. It paints a visual picture: words like ‘goodies’, ‘assortment’ and ‘beautiful’ make the environment feel rich and colourful
It’s welcoming, they talk directly to us: “So grab yourself a cuppa”
It covers off the details but it doesn’t feel like a list thanks to the creative word choices
There’s intrigue: “things you haven’t seen before” leaving us wanting more
They tell us a bit about who they are with specific details: “maybe a custard cream or four”
It makes you feel part of their special club: they call themselves MBC and call us Caravanners
The language is simple and informal: liberal exclamation marks and cheeky brackets

Make it work for you

There’s so much to love and learn from, but here’s a quick checklist of things you can apply to your copy:

Think about the feel or visual image you want your copy to convey, what words can you use to bring it to life?
What would you say to your customer if they were in the room? Imagine the scenario and throw in some of those details to make your copy feel more alive
Instead of a list of products and services, use unexpected words to bring each element to life
But always leave a little to the imagination to encourage your reader to take action and visit your store or get in touch with you
Get specific to give your writing personality: mention biscuits? Name the brand. Talking about your working tools? Go in on the detail. Even the way you describe your space can tell us so much about you. Do you work in a sunny studio, a crowded studio or a serene studio? Is it filled with plants, paper or half-empty coffee cups?
Is there a little abbreviation or nickname you can use to help folks feel part of your gang?

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