The importance of having a website is nothing new. After all, almost half of internet users say a website is the number one way they determine a business’s credibility. And they make this impression at lightning speed—50 milliseconds, to be exact.
Besides helping prove your credibility, you can use your website to showcase your brand, drive leads, and provide information about your products and services. When you use it to provide basic information – like your location(s) and hours of operation – you reduce your time doing customer service, increasing internal productivity.
But just having a website isn’t enough – it must be SEO-optimized to maximize its potential. When you have an SEO-optimized website, you’ll start ranking on Google search results and can drastically increase your customer base.
Even knowing the benefits of websites, countless companies still need a great one. And when it comes to creating strong websites, there’s more to it than just design.
As much as design matters, the words on the pages do, too.
Thankfully, some experts specialize in just that – website copywriting. Known as website copywriters, they work with clients to thoroughly understand their brand and product/ service offerings and use this knowledge to craft compelling content.
Below, we’ll unravel more about what website copywriters do and why you should consider hiring one. Let’s get started!
The Importance of Partnering a Great Website Design with Strong Copy
Sure – an aesthetically appealing, user-friendly website needs to be a priority. But even with the most beautifully designed website, you can instantly turn away prospects if the content is lacking.
Whether it’s riddled with spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors or fails to address customer pain points, the words on your pages are critical. According to Forbes, your content only has 5.59 seconds to engage your audience and effectively communicate your brand’s message. When it doesn’t, website users will likely head elsewhere – likely your competitor.
Then, there’s the fact that much of the website content out there is outdated. Forbes also found that 82 percent of websites are inactive, meaning their owners fail to use and update them regularly.
If you have one of these inactive sites and wonder what’s causing your poor search engine optimization (SEO), this is likely why. Google craves fresh, engaging content that meets user behaviour and search intent. By failing to update or add new content to your site, you’re basically telling Google your site is outdated. As a result, your Google rankings will take a hit.
One of the easiest ways to improve your SEO rankings is to address your copy. Review your website analytics and meaningful metrics, like Average Time on Page, to identify what’s working and what’s not. Where is most of your website traffic hanging out? Are they staying there for long?
If you’re seeing traffic land on a page and then leave instantly, you’ll want to see if your content (or lack thereof) is causing this effect.
For seven out of 10 small businesses, a poor conversion rate is likely because their websites lack a call to action (CTA). These essential elements prompt users to take a particular action, like downloading an e-book or making a purchase. They’re one of the best ways to encourage website traffic to do something that will benefit your company.
Once you can narrow down some opportunities for improving your copy, you’ll have to tackle your keyword strategy. The proper short and long-tail keywords can help you rank and attract your target market. Since they’re longer and more specific, long-tail keywords are especially helpful.
So, in short, you’ll need to follow two steps when addressing your website copy:
- Determine why your copy isn’t getting you results, and
- Create a strategy to improve your copy.
That’s where a website copywriter gets to shine.
Responsibilities of a Website Copywriter
A website copywriter’s biggest responsibility is to produce words that convert traffic into customers.
And that’s not a straightforward process.
Crafting compelling copy takes skill, time, and hard work. A website copywriter must develop an understanding of your business, its offerings, and what sets you apart from your competition. They get to know the pain points of your target audience and how your business can help address them.
Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is also crucial to understand. A talented website copywriter showcases this information in a captivating way to sell your company’s offerings.
And they must do all that while staying true to your brand. You’ve likely spent years developing a brand image, including the voice in which you communicate. A website copywriter must integrate this Tone of Voice into their copy to match the rest of your branding.
Sometimes, that Tone of Voice needs some finessing – especially if there wasn’t a solid strategy in the first place. A website copywriter can often help with that, too.
Expectations from a Website Copywriter
If you’re considering outsourcing your website copywriting, you’re not alone. This Gitnux Marketdata Report found that almost 65 percent of B2B marketers outsource this task. Unfortunately, 22 percent of the companies that do outsource report finding quality writers as their top challenge.
If you’ve decided to outsource your website copy, we want to make it as easy as possible for you (just hire us, then, ya?!). This blog post can also help if you’re still trying to decide whether you need a copywriter.
The list below summarizes some attributes you should look for when hiring a website copywriter for your company.
Strong Writing Skills
There’s no doubt about it: a website copywriter’s writing skills need to be A++.
Take a look at the prospective copywriter’s website portfolio. Does it contain well-worded content without spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors? Is it keyword-focused? If you’re tech-savvy, you can even use platforms like UberSuggest to see how well the website ranks on search engines.
Also, review the copywriter’s education. Do they have formal SEO training? Are they staying up-to-date on their skills? Copywriting techniques constantly change, and you need someone current.
Communication Skills
Communication skills are essential regardless of who you work with at your business. You’ll want to work with a freelance copywriter who outlines the project timeline, provides updates when necessary, and promptly replies to your inquiries. Staying up-to-date on project status will make you feel more at ease with the process.
Professionalism
Your website is your reputation – bottom line. Your website copywriter must take the copywriting task seriously and ensure they spend the time necessary to do it right.
Even how the prospective website copywriter writes their emails can say a lot. Do they greet you warmly, answer all your questions, and invite clarification? A great website copywriter should provide as much detail as possible to make you feel confident in their abilities.
No Red Flags
Sometimes, it just comes down to a good old ‘gut feeling’ about a prospective website copywriter. If they have the skills outlined above and lack any of these red flags, you’ve likely found someone worth trying out. Before you do so, review their contract in detail and ensure the project scope is just like you envision.
What a Website Copywriter Needs to Know
Once you’ve found a website copywriter you want to work with, you’ll have to provide some background information before they can get to work.
Project Overview
Often, a website copywriter will jump on a call to get clarification about the project. They’ll want to know what you like about your current copy and what you want to change. They’ll also want to collect the information they’ll use to create the new copy.
Other times, the website copywriter will have you complete detailed questionnaires that help gather these insights.
No matter which method they choose to use with you, provide them with as much detail as possible. You never know what tidbits of information the website copywriter will use to craft your new copy!
Brand Guidelines
The website copywriter must also understand your value proposition, brand perception, and target audience. It’s essential to share even simple things—like your preference for Oxford commas, CDN, or US English.
They’ll also need to know more about who you want to reach with your new content. If you already have audience personas, hand them over!
Keyword Research
Many times, a client will already have a keyword strategy in place. Your website copywriter can review it and ensure it’s still up-to-date.
If you’ve never heard of keyword research before, don’t sweat it. A website copywriter who specializes in SEO can do that for you.
Calls to Action
Discuss with your copywriter what you hope to gain from this new copy – is it more newsletter subscribers, e-book downloads, client consultations, or something else? Each piece of copy they create should include a CTA to help capture as many leads as possible.
Deadlines and Delivery
You’ll also want to work out a delivery date with your website copywriter so you know when to expect a first draft. Share your preferred format – Google Docs or MS Word are the most common – so that edits can be easy.
Tips for Working with a Website Copywriter
Working with a freelance web copywriter may be something you’ve never done before – and that’s okay! Here’s what you should remember when partnering with a website copywriter.
- Experience Matters: Find someone with experience in your industry. Many website copywriters are generalists and have plenty of samples to show you from previous work. The process is much easier when they have experience writing website content that matches your industry. They’re likely already familiar with the industry jargon and may have completed some background research (like competitors). Hiring a website copywriter who has written for your industry gives you a great head-start.
- Reviews Say a Lot: Hiring a website copywriter you’ve never heard of can be scary. But that’s where your due diligence comes in handy! Research the website copywriter online and review multiple sites (besides Google Business) – think LinkedIn and platforms like Bark, too. Don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials from past clients. You can always contact them to feel more confident before signing a contract.
- Remember They’re a Freelancer, Not an Employee: There are several significant differences between freelancers and employees – with the largest one being they have control over their work hours and location. When you hire a freelancer, do so knowing they’re their own boss and need breathing room to do their job well.
The Key Takeaway: Hiring a Website Copywriter
It’s never easy to let go of some of your business’s responsibilities – and writing your own website copy is one of them.
But remember: you can’t be an expert at everything. By hiring the right website copywriter, you’ll get someone familiar with crafting engaging copy and helping you rank on Google.
It’s an investment that will pay off hugely.