Writing your website copy: the guide for Moroccan SMBs

The first screen: the sentence that decides everything

On a phone, your visitor sees a title, two lines and one button before scrolling. That's where the visit is decided. The formula that works: what you do + for whom + one number. "Dry-cleaning with home delivery in Marrakech — 48h turnaround, shirts from 15 MAD" sells; "Welcome to our site" sells nothing.

Quick test: show your first screen to someone who doesn't know your trade for five seconds. If they can't say what you sell and how to order from you, it needs rewriting.

Write for the scanner

Nobody reads a web page fully — they scan it: headings, first lines, bold text. Adapt the structure: a section title announcing the benefit (“No more dragging quotes” rather than “Our advantages”), paragraphs of three lines maximum, bulleted lists whenever you enumerate, and bold on the words that matter for the decision.

And the golden rule: one page, one intention. The “car rental” page sells rentals; it doesn't also tell the family story since 1995 — that's the “about” page.

Proof beats adjectives

Every adjective you delete should be replaced by a fact: a figure, a duration, a reference count, a photo, a client name with their city. It's shorter to write, and it's what convinces.

The call to action: one, everywhere.

Every page has a goal: the call, the quote, the booking. Pick one and repeat it: button visible without scrolling, link mid-page, summary at the bottom. On the Moroccan market, a WhatsApp button with pre-filled message beats the classic form hands down — make the most of it.

Button wording matters: “Get my free quote” converts better than “Send”. First-person verb, explicit benefit, and “free” lifts the final hesitation.

Mistakes that drive visitors away in Morocco

• Text copied from a competitor — Google sees it, the client senses it, and you inherit their approximations.
• Visible spelling mistakes — Three typos in the first paragraph and your premium prices become unsellable.
• Visible machine translation — Off-key Arabic or English suggests the service will be too.
• No figures — No prices, no deadline, no references: the customer leaves to check with whoever displays them.
• The text wall — Fifteen unbroken lines on a phone is a closed door.

The method if you write yourself

Three stages: collect (your ten most frequent client questions, your three strongest proofs, your prices), pour it out unfiltered in one hour per page, then cut a third the next day. Read aloud: anything you wouldn't say on the phone with a client has no place, and whatever says well deserves its spot.

And if the exercise burdens you: copywriting is a service you can delegate — provided you give the writer the same raw materials.