Should You Hire a Copywriter?
It’s just words. How hard can it be?
You or someone on your team may be a decent writer, and with a little help from Chat GPT you can probably make do. But do you want to just “make do?”
The whole point of a website is to turn visitors into customers. You want the words on your pages to entice people to click that “Buy Now” button or plan a visit to your physical store. Professional copywriters (like me) have the experience and the expertise to know which words are most effective, and how to arrange those words to get people to say, “I’m in!”
Here are a few things to consider when hiring a copywriter:
A good copywriter will do her homework.
When I work with clients I spend a lot of time on research, including looking at their existing site, looking at any competitor sites, and asking a lot of questions about their business. When I sit down to write, I have a strategy in place—I call it a narrative framework—that helps inform my copy so it’s laser-focused on the customer.
A good copywriter works with a web designer to create a site with maximum impact. Writers and designers each bring unique skills to the table when creating a website. Together, they form a dynamic duo, like Batman and Robin, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin, or Lucy and Ethel. On my end, I create a wireframe, or blueprint, of a website that includes all the copy I’ve written, laid out in various shapes on the page. I then give this to the designer to make it come to life digitally with pictures and graphics. Usually there is a fair amount of conversation between us as we build the new site to present to the client.
A good copywriter will listen to her clients.
I don’t pretend to know your business or your customers. You (and your team) are the ultimate source of truth! Sometimes a word or phrase isn’t quite right. Maybe I haven’t exactly nailed the tone you want to convey. I welcome feedback so I can get my clients copy that works to get them business.
A good copywriter is a grammar nerd.
Poor grammar or typos can turn people off, or at the very least make your business look unprofessional. This is the danger of outsourcing your writing to the lowest bidder! I’m an English major who has been writing her whole career, but even I will need to confirm language usage or spelling, either through reference books, online forums, or other nerdy peers.
A good copywriter knows how to use SEO to get results.
Search engines like Google keep marketers guessing about how to rank on their sites. I work with SEO experts to implement features and keywords that help sites show up on the first page in search results so customers can easily connect with you. I also have a few other “tips and tricks” for ranking high in search, if that’s your goal.
A good copywriter offers a fresh set of eyes on your marketing efforts.
It’s tough to read the label from inside the bottle, which is where a lot of business owners are stuck. A copywriter can help you see where your marketing is outdated or what areas aren’t working well. They can suggest implementing additional pages or features so you stay current and ultimately increase revenue. I keep on top of trends and talk to other marketing professionals about what is working well for them and what to ditch.
Ultimately you want a copywriter who makes your business money. My goal is to get my clients at least a 10x return on their investment with me. Of course, I can’t promise anything, but if I don’t think I can deliver a great return I will gently steer a client to another marketing path, whether that be only updating their design, making a few copy tweaks instead of a rewrite, or simply adding a new page to enhance what’s already in place. You should feel confident that your copywriter has your—and your business’s—best interests at heart.