Are you stuck at 6cm? Why it’s so hard to write website copy for your doula website.

typewriter on white background representing doula website copy

I’ve seen a lot of doula websites in my years as a birth professional and website designer, and unfortunately a lot of them are almost exactly the same. Sure, the colors, logo & photos might vary, but the actual content tends to be boringly standard and predictable. While this might give an accurate idea of the birth and postpartum services a doula performs, the reader is left with little to no sense of Who this particular doula is, nor solid motivation to schedule a free consult.

While a doula website with this standard content structure might make putting your content together easier it does little to attract the right clients and make the connection you need to be hired. The birth and postpartum pros in any given community who are thriving are consistently the ones who have found their Voice and learned how to express themselves online.

So why do so many birth & postpartum professionals have such predictable doula website copy?

I think one of the key reasons is that writing original content is HARD! We fall back on explaining what we do. Instead of building a relationship through our doula website copy, we provide long bullet lists of our services, or what each doula package includes, or all our certifications. While these elements are important, they’re not what will make you stand out as THE doula a site visitor will want to reach out to.

It’s also common to look at other area doula websites and see what THEY are including and think we have to do the same… Stop stalking other doulas and ask yourself:

How do YOU want to show up online?

How do you want families to FEEL when they read your website copy?

What is important to you in the way you approach your work with families in birth or postpartum?

There is this threshold of sorts that you have to step through to craft website copy that ultimately promotes your work as a doula. Not only have you been deeply called into this work, but the way you support families is oh so personal and intimate.

This makes the unique voice of your doula website copy all the more important. Your goal is to plant the first seeds of this new doula-client relationship through website copy that is personal and connected, conveying a sense of the quality of the relationship they will enjoy with you once they hire you as their birth or postpartum doula.

Why is writing original doula website copy so vulnerable?

The vulnerability of writing content is something that many of us don’t consider when setting out to craft our website.

Even the most seasoned writers amongst us, the ones for whom words usually just flow from pen to paper (or keyboard to screen!) often find that when it comes to writing copy for a website, something is different. There are probably a bunch of good reasons for why this is hard, but for me at the heart is vulnerability.

Person hiding behind silver laptop with orange background representing the vulnerablity of writing doula website copy

After seeing this dynamic play out over and over again I think it’s because we don’t know who will be out there reading our site, how they will interpret our words, and whether or not they will take the next step to hire us.

Your doula website is, in essence, selling you as a practitioner. You are sharing the heart of what you do and asking another person to trust you – to take the leap and say yes to all that you have to offer. And if that is met with silence? If nobody clicks on the “schedule your free doula consult” button? Ouch.

I don’t have an easy answer to this, but I do know that each piece of our doula website copy serves a purpose, and that together all these segments, from the home page, to your doula bio, to the description of your doula services, and even your contact page paint a clear picture of the whole. Your words are helping families (site visitors) imagine what it would feel like to have you as their doula and hopefully take the next step to learn more. So many factors go into them taking that leap, and you won’t be the right fit for every site visitor. Still…

When you invest in your UNIQUE voice, your content shine with the VALUE of your doula care – and the right clients will respond!

I see your doula website copy as a unique opportunity to really step into your full power as a practitioner. Let your voice SHINE! Share this important work that you do in a real, honest, vulnerable way. By doing so you are building trust, connection, and starting the doula relationship that will transform their experience in birth and postpartum.

Need help with your website copy? Reach out to explore a StoryBrand messaging & home page copy package today. As a Certified StoryBrand Guide I can help you create messaging that is clear, engaging & designed to convert visitors into great clients.

HOW CAN I HELP YOU?

Hi there, I’m Sarah Juliusson, and yes I really am a Website Doula. I support your practice growth with creative website design, seasoned business guidance, and plenty of great resources to help you find your way. With 13 years in web design, and another 20+ years as a health & wellness pro, I believe in the value of your work as much as you do. Explore your options for a custom website today.

- Sarah Juliusson (she/her), the WEBSITE DOULA