Hello, all you gals (and fellas) who are having a heckuva time getting your new website done (or you keep putting off starting, because it seems like a monster task)…
Listen to the replay...
"Clear as a Bell:
3 simple steps to writing a homepage that makes your cash register sing”
Take the simple path
to writing a clear website that attracts your favorite clients AND gives you more confidence about writing and promoting your work from here on out
(and not in the used car salesman way)
Plus – get it done + have more fun, too!
Dear Person Who Needs to Write (or Redo) Your Website,
- Don’t know WHAT to say on your website?
- Have you been AGONIZING over how to write your About Me page?
- Are you TERRIFIED that you’re going to screw up writing your website…
and you’ll look foolish and no one will want to work with you? - Does “editing” what you wrote feel more like TORTURE than progress?
- Have you been TRYING to write stuff, but it totally STINKS (or what’s on your website now isn’t working… but you don’t know why)?
Look, we BOTH know that you need to get your website done.
That’s one of the first stops your colleagues and prospective clients make when then meet or hear about you.
Maybe you’re even at that point where you’ve stuffed your head FULL of strategies and marketing info.
Perhaps you even have a business coach, who’s assigned you the task of getting your website up. Or revised. Or simplified. Or clear.
So you know what you need to do. But you’re having a heckuva time actually DOING it. Something about the writing is holding you up. Or you can’t seem to find the time to start. Or you’ve even written a draft or two… but it does feel good enough. So you’re frozen. Or frustrated. Or both.
You KNOW getting your website up is a priority. But it’s taking FOREVER. You’re in your twentieth round of rewrites!
You’re all “in your head”… muttering to yourself about your target market… your trainings + certifications… your next program… and writing catchphrases that your muses give you, over and over again… but does any of it matter to the people who would hire you?
Hey. It’s not just your website.
You’ve been dragging your feet on marketing your business… because you aren’t feeling sure about what to say… or how to express it in a way that feels like YOU.
Not Fake Person Who Smiles All The Time and Speaks in Platitudes.
Not The Person Who Sells Everything With A Heartbeat, Whether They Need Her Help Or Not.
(Dontcha love it when “sell” becomes an action verb… of what one person DOES to another? Ew.)
When you look at the websites of the people you admire, they’re pretty fancy and expensive. And you start feeling bad… because you don’t think you’ll EVER be able to make something like that.
Or, you look at other people’s websites, and you’re just not that impressed. They seem all phony. Or unclear. Or just plain UGLY.
Yes? Then prepare yourself to be delighted…
“Welcome to the Write Your Website Lab, my dears!”
Stella Orange here. Hello, over there. I’m thrilled that you’re reading this right now. Here’s why: you’ve rounded the bend on certain fundamentals about running your business, and you’re looking for more. More ways to reach out. More people to work with and serve. And yes, more revenue.
And you’ve also got questions. So many questions! You could fill up a jar will all of the questions!
Which is why I created the “Write Your Website Lab.”
It’s a program designed to show you the ropes of producing a great, simple website that YOUR ideal clients WANT to read.
Why not hire a copywriter (or get your sweetie) to write your website for you?
That’s certainly an option.
But let me tell you why I think that’s not a great idea most of the time.
I got my start as a copywriter. In fact, I still write websites (and sales letters) for a handful of my private writing clients. And you know what? I LOVE writing websites.
I geek out on getting to know the personalities and businesses of my writing clients, and then crafting a message and a voice for them on their website.
But what I’ve found, doing this work, is that I end up knowing a lot about my client’s business… and a lot of it she doesn’t even know herself.
Writing is a lot like studying the core message of a business owner from the inside. When you take the time to think and write, you end up learning A TON about who your ideal clients are, how they think, what they dream of, and what they are struggling with.
And this information is as precious as gold to your business.
It’s almost like through writing, I get to know a business from the inside out.
The thing is, when I wrote websites for new coaches or freshly-minted business owners, I knew more about the problem they solve in the world and who they solve it for (and how to connect with those people in writing) than they did.
And that wasn’t really a service I felt good about providing.
So I raised my fees and stopped writing websites for people who hadn’t explored their business from the inside out yet.
Instead, I started teaching service professionals and business owners how to start exploring their business through writing about it.
Because it does no good if someone else can promote your business (unless you have your own marketing department). That super important task at the heart of your biz belongs to YOU.
“As a professional copywriter, potential clients I’ve just met tell me they just KNOW they want to work with me—before I even open my mouth!”
Before I was a freelance copywriter, I wrote direct response fundraising letters for a non-profit art center.
My whole mission was to make the case that more kids should have access to art and creativity. That having a working pottery studio in town mattered. That having working artists and funky creative types was actually a real asset to the community… especially for kiddos.
Back then, “selling” wasn’t a word in my vocabulary. But “persuasion” certainly was.
It was my job to persuade people that art matters. That creativity matters. That kids and neighborhoods and doing things just because they were beautiful, quirky or fun matters.
Before that, I taught high school. I worked in an alternative school in the basement of a Presbyterian Church in Seattle. (Get this: the name of the school was “Everyone Has a Song.” How awesome is that?)
My students had either flunked out, dropped out, or been arrested out of regular school.
And it was my job to PERSUADE them that I was someone worth tuning in to. Me, with my straight A report card in regular school, and my bright ideas about tolerance and civic participation and teachers not having all the answers (but knowing how to ask the good questions).
You know the expression “that’s a tough sell?”
Working with teenagers is a tough sell.
So that’s how I first learned to “sell”. I share all this with you because that’s how I want more business owners to approach “selling.” As a mission. As spreading YOUR message. As persuading people to trust, like, listen to, and work with you.
Because while the idea of selling might not fire up YOUR inner Viking warrior… if you can help people, AND do what you love, AND pay your bills, AND live debt-free, AND have some moolah left over to travel, or treat your friends to dinner AND give away to the causes you care most about—why pass up that golden opportunity?
What You’ll Learn in the Write Your Website Lab
I decided to take what I do for my business, and show you how to do it for YOURS. Because I talk with (and write for) plenty of business owners across the country, and I hear how hard it is to just GET THINGS DONE.
Especially when it comes to writing your website.
The Write Your Website Lab is a four-week program where you will learn the fundamentals of writing the 3 most important web pages… as you actually write them.
The Write Your Website Lab Curriculum
That means you’ll get your whizbang ideas and theories… AND you are expected to TAKE ACTION. There are no wallflowers in Stella’s tribe. We are all Recovering Perfectionists here. And part of our recovery is to take imperfect action… if only ‘cuz we’re dying to see what happens next!
Here are your DELIVERABLES for this 4-week program:
- Homepage
- Services or Programs page
- About page
You’ll also get lots of tips, plus Stella’s templates to make writing sensational articles easier and more fun. Here’s what’s in store for you each week:
Week 1: Why You Do It – Crafting Your Powerful Story (About page)
This week: you’ll come to the lab with pre-lab research in hand. So you are ready to hit the ground running. We’ll start with your About page, and why you need to share more of your personality and story on it. You’ll get two templates for writing your powerful story, plus examples of students who have used that template to craft THEIR powerful story. This week, your homework will be to tell your story to another living thing, and then to write it [90 minutes homework total]. (This is the first step to creating a strong, real connection with potential clients who visit your site.)Week 2: Your People + How You Help Them (Services page)
As we blaze along, Stella will field your questions. This week, we’ll shift focus from you and your WHY… to your target market, the kinds of people you want to attract (and the ones you want to repel), and the secret to writing copy that makes a real connection with your reader. This is your introduction to writing a strong, compelling, confident Services (or Programs or Packages) page. Your homework this week will be to bang out what writer Annie Lamott calls a "shitty first draft" (SFD) of your Services page [60 minutes] and what Stella calls a “much improved second draft” (MISD) of your About page [45 minutes].Week 3: Make the Connection (Homepage)
This week, you’ll find out what needs to go on your homepage. You’ll discover how to keep it simple, clear, charming… and how to make a connection with your people. And you’ll also learn a powerful secret that will help you increase response to all of your marketing – from emails to newsletters. Because I believe we learn best by doing, you’ll write a SFD of your Homepage this week [45 minutes] and a MISD of your Services page [45 minutes]Week 4: How to Use Your Website to Win You Business
Man! Can you believe all that you’ve accomplished in 4 short weeks? Now that you are becoming a well-oiled writing machine, it’s time to talk strategy. This week, we talk about why every service professional needs a clear, uncluttered, and charming website to expand their reach and build their business. You’ll also get templates for some simple ways to get your people to your website, and keep in touch once they get there. Your homework this week is to work on your MISD of your Homepage, and finish up the rest of your pages.
*** Save $50 off full price when you register
by Friday, March 9th ***
YES! Stella, I want in. Sign me up for the Write Your Website lab. I’m ready to get my website written so it brings me more business and raving fans!
Spring production lab meets March 14 + 21, and April 4, 11, 18. 3-4:30pm EST.
What else will I get from the Write Your Website Lab?
In addition to kickstarting your relationship with your favorite kinds of clients, you will get:
- 4 classes with Stella Orange ($900 value)
- Worksheets, templates and handouts ($47)
- Ideas for how to “get in the mood”, get it done, and have more fun when you write (If Stella had a magic client attraction perfume for you, this is it.)
- Greater clarity about your ideal client + your message
- More confidence about your writing + marketing
- Enthusiasm about your work—and real excitement to share it with more people!
- More confidence!
- Totally fired up about promoting your business. Really. I’m not kidding. (My geeking out about this stuff is becoming legendary. And my excitement is like a bad rash: spreading.)
- A group of other smart, kind business owners across the country who are in the same boat as you - bound for success…. And upgrading the horsepower of their motor. Hello, high-quality networking, friends, and Joint Venture partners!
And because this is a production lab – and my personal goal is to have at least 80% of students complete all 3 pages of their website in the lab – I’m also adding:
“Friendly Critique” with Stella
When you’re writing, feedback from a smart person who “geeks out” on copywriting, message + marketing is super helpful. I’m so bent on you finishing your website in this production lab, you + I are going to put our heads together in Week 4 to smash anything that’s getting in your way.
There is a catch: I bring 110% to what I commit to, and I expect the people I work and collaborate with to, as well. So, you’ll get a 20 minute Friendly Critique with me when you submit the one page you want to workshop, and at least 3 questions you have about improving it.
Why am I doing this?
I want you to use me as your trusty guide to studying copywriting + upping your practical marketing know-how… but I want YOU to take ownership of how you think and what you create. Fair enough.
Homepage Jam
Because nailing your message on your homepage is so dang vital, I’m assembling a panel of smart people to help you do it. At the beginning of Week 4, Stella and 2 other experts will review YOUR homepage and help you polish it to something your ideal clients can’t resist…. at the Message Lab.
Everyone in the WYW production lab will have access to this really cool call (if you’ve never heard creative folks “riff” on marketing messages before, you’re about to enter a whole new strange + awesome world),
AND here’s the catch: there are a limited number of “spotlights” available. Everyone who submits a complete SFD of their homepage by the deadline will get a chance to have it reviewed, but you’ve got to do the work to get the prize.
Can you see how I’m setting this up so you win when you get your darn website written? No wallflowers here, m’dear….
Extra 5th Tech Session : “You’ve Written Your Website – Now What?”
Special Tech + WordPress conversation and Q&A with Sandra de Freitas, expert tech coach, speaker, trainer, author and internet tech wizard.
My colleague Sandra will join us for a bonus 5th session, to talk about WordPress websites, and answer any questions you have about setting yours up (or migrating your old website over). Why WordPress? Sandra will talk about that, too. She’s not only a smart resource, she explains tech stuff in plain English… which will be mighty helpful, now that you’ve got your web copy written and are ready for your next steps.
A Complimentary Ticket to Stella Orange’s One Day LIVE Writing Intensive in NYC in May 2012 ($197 value)
Yes, hon, this is a copywriting course, but the Write Your Website Lab will ALSO give you a whole lot of training, strategy and inspiration. Did you read the part about results—and the part about how we are going to have FUN as we work?
This ain’t your grandmama’s writing program…
The Write Your Website production lab is for you if…
You want to write your website
You are willing to do what it takes to get it done
Getting your website written + up is one of your top 3 goals in the next 90 days
You are willing to schedule 1-2 hours outside of course time to do the work
You are committed to put what you learn into action
You want to sound like YOU on your website AND win business
You “get” that learning how to write for your business is a VALUABLE investment
The Write Your Website production lab is NOT for you if…
You want a WordPress or tech course
You have no intention of writing
You aren’t a service professional or bricks & mortar business
You want to write a blog
You aren’t motivated to do business through your website
So…
If you’re ready to write… and you are looking for more information about how your website serves you higher caliber clients (and how long that REALLY takes before it starts working)…
If you’ve seen what others write on their websites and you are itching to know why they’re doing it the way they are—and how to do it for YOUR business…
If you’re a “pretty good” writer, but want more CONFIDENCE when you write (which is KEY when it comes to attracting your ideal clients)
If you have a website, but aren’t sure whether it’s any good, but don’t know where to start or what to change….
…then the Write Your Website Lab is for you.
Why learn with you, Stella?
But here are some little nuggets about me that might help you discern whether you and I are two peas in a pod:
- I got into copywriting through the backdoor. I used to write direct response copywriting letters for a non-profit community center in Montana. I also used to write and direct short plays at my local theater. I even got to study playwriting at NYU for a summer!
- I used to teach high school (I have a Masters in Teaching from the University of Washington and taught at an alternative school in Seattle.) The naughty kids. So I know a thing or two about getting through to you, and finding all kinds of ways for you to learn what you need to.
- I filled my copywriting business within a year of opening my practice, using my website, blog, newsletter, and referrals. I also took a month off my first year of business to kayak in the Atlantic, ride bikes in Yellowstone, and witness my nephew walking for the first time.
- I’m known for my contagious enthusiasm and ability to see the awesomeness in what each of my students does for a living.
- My clients say they knew they wanted to work with me. Like, in their gut. One client even proposed to me. During a SALES CONVERSATION.
Would a successful business owner trained to entertain and persuade people using words—and can teach you how to do it, too—be useful to your business?
*** Save $50 off full price when you register
by Friday, March 9th ***
YES! Stella, I want in. Sign me up for the Write Your Website lab.
I’m ready to get my website written
so it brings me more business and raving fans!
Spring production lab meets March 14 + 21, and April 4, 11, 18. 3-4:30pm EST.
Yes, and how much is it?
I’ve spent thousands of dollars myself on learning how to write copy that gets people to take action. And my private writing clients invest thousands of dollars with ME when I do the writing for them.
But it’s really important to me to help more people learn how get their writing RIGHT.
And I know that not everyone needs – or wants— a “done for you” service.
Sometimes you just want someone to make sense of what you’re seeing others do, and give you step-by-step instructions for how to do it yourself.
Sometimes you just want a good guide.
*** Save $50 off full price when you register
by Friday, March 9th ***
Yes, Stella! I’m aching to find a way to get my website written – and win more business from it. I’d like to join the Write Your Website production lab.
Spring production lab meets March 14 + 21, and April 4, 11, 18. 3-4:30pm EST.
Q: Is this for beginners?
A: Yes and no. I highly recommend that you get trained in business foundations before you embark on your business-building adventure. In my experience, it really helps.
That said, I do work with service professionals who are just starting businesses… as well as seasoned entrepreneurs for whom “this ain’t their first rodeo.”
And THAT said, I do move briskly and expect you to be organized enough to keep pace. And find time to write outside of class time. If you like that kind of pacing, hop on board.
If reading something like that spooks you, this probably isn’t the program for you.
Q: Can you just write my website for me?
A: Maybe. But I only work with private writing clients that are a good fit. Typically, they have been in business awhile, and they are happy to invest about ten times what this course costs.
If that’s something you’d rather explore, contact my assistant Amy Gough at concierge@stellaorange.com.
Q: I already have a business (or marketing) coach.
A: Good for you! I like to think of myself as the unofficial salesperson for business coaches, because I spend 30% of my sales conversations talking people into hiring them (not me). I think it’s really helpful to have someone in this role.
The question is, does your coach show you how to write in a clear and compelling way that feels good to you?
Many of my clients are working with other coaches – and I’m all for it. They come to me because there’s a gap… no one is talking them through how to write… and they find a lot of other copywriting courses too boring or “cookie-cutter.”
My clients are creative and soulful, and they are up to big things. They just want help expressing that in a profitable way.
Q: Maybe I’ll do the next one?
A: I’m not planning on offering this production lab again in 2012. Can you really wait until next year?
Q: I can’t make the live class. Can I listen to the recordings?
A: This class is being recorded. So yes, you can do that. But I really want you in the class if you ALREADY KNOW that you can arrange your busy life so that you have 3-4 hours a week to listen to the recordings AND do your writing.
I know some people can do that, and others have trouble feeling connected if they aren’t there live. So it depends on how you learn, and how badly you want to get your website done (with me!).
My Personal 100% Risk-Free Guarantee
I want you to be MORE than satisfied with the information delivered in the Write Your Website production lab. If you complete your homework, attend the first class, participate fully, and you aren't happy with the program, I'm happy to refund your tuition in full. You've got nothing to lose!
I stand behind all of my programs with total certainty.
*** Save $50 off full price when you register
by Friday, March 9th ***
YES! Stella, I want in. Sign me up for the Write Your Website lab.
I’m ready to get my website written
so it brings me more business and raving fans!
Spring production lab meets March 14 + 21, and April 4, 11, 18. 3-4:30pm EST.
So are you ready? Give yourself the gift of not going it alone – and reap the rewards of getting your website done in the next 60 days. Won’t that feel awesome to get it off your TO DO list?
See you at the Write Your Website Lab!
Keep up the good work,
Stella
*** Save $50 off full price when you register
by Friday, March 9th ***
YES! Stella, I want in. Sign me up for the Write Your Website lab.
I’m ready to get my website written
so it brings me more business and raving fans!
Spring production lab meets March 14 + 21, and April 4, 11, 18. 3-4:30pm EST.