| |
| |
|
Copywriting Information |
|
|
|
10 Things You Should Expect From Your Website Copywriter
As websites and electronic commerce are becoming more and more common, business owners and marketing managers are realising that quality web copy is every bit as important as impressive design. And with the ever increasing importance of search engine presence, the role of web copy has never been more critical. But in such a relatively new field, customers are still coming to grips with what they can expect of their website copywriter. The question a lot of people are asking is, "How do I know I'll get what I pay for?" Before engaging a website copywriter for your next project, ask them whether they're able to provide you with the following ten essentials? 1) Fixed Quote A lot of website copywriters will tell you they only work on an hourly rate. They'll cite varying requirements, rapidly changing technologies, greater incentive, the risk of customer indecision, and a host of other reasons why they can't provide a fixed quote. But don't be fooled. You have a right to know what the job is going to cost you. If a website copywriter won't give you a fixed quote, think twice? 2) Contract of Works to be Completed Just as important as a fixed quote is a signed contract. It may not be drawn up by a lawyer, but a written and signed document outlining the works to be carried out, and the cost of those works is essential. If a website copywriter is reluctant to provide a written, itemised quote including estimated number of words, you have to ask yourself why. 3) Timeframe Always ask how long your job is going to take. If you've already had a go at writing your own web copy, you'll know how time consuming it is. Never make the mistake of thinking the job will be done in a day. Granted, a professional website copywriter will be very efficient in crafting your copy, but no matter who the writer, a quality product requires time. And on top of writing time, remember that you'll have to review and provide feedback on everything they write. In a lot of cases, it's the review phase that takes the most time, so make sure you try to set some time aside, otherwise you'll find yourself the bottleneck! 4) Plan of Attack Try to get some idea from your website copywriter about how they plan to approach your project. Don't be fooled into believing you have to hand over the dollars before they'll reveal their plan of attack. You have a right to be comfortable with their approach before you engage their services. Will you receive individual drafts of every page, or a single draft of the entire site? What format will you receive the finished product in? How many review iterations do they anticipate? 5) Samples A lot of ambitious web service providers of all types are calling themselves writers these days. They offer copywriting as a specialist service, but don't engage a specialist to complete the work. Always ask to see samples of their previous copy. Read it thoroughly and ask yourself, "Does this copy convey benefits?". Pretend you're the intended audience and ask "Does this copy answer the questions I need answered before I'll buy?" 6) CV Most copywriters' websites will give you a very high-level overview of their business and the services they offer. Some even offer samples. But very few offer a professional biography of their writers. If you're not happy relying on their website as your sole source of information, ask for a copy of their CV. The things you're looking for are a professional history in writing, and preferably some tertiary education in the same. 7) Testimonials Perhaps the best indication of a website copywriter's ability is customer satisfaction. Don't be afraid of asking for customer testimonials. A good website copywriter will be proud of their testimonials - so proud, in fact, that they'll be offering them without you even asking. Look for testimonials from companies you recognise and/or can verify. Anyone can get their great-aunt write them a testimonial. Some will even write their own. If you really want to be sure, ask for contact details so you can give the customer a call and hear it straight from the horse's mouth. 8) SEO Copy Skills Approximately 80% of all web traffic comes through search engines, so it's essential that your website copywriter has proven experience in SEO copy. Ask them their general approach to SEO copy. Do they normally perform the keyword analysis themselves? How do they know when they've used enough keywords in enough of the right places? Can they show you a high ranking site they've written the copy for? What steps do they take to avoid diluting the effectiveness of your primary keyword phrases? Will their SEO copy change the text links on your pages? (It should!) 9) SEO Copy at No Extra Charge! Never be fooled into paying more for SEO copy. If you've already performed your keyword analysis, and you know where you want your keyword phrases used, writing of the copy should take no longer than usual. I'll say it again? SEO copy is not an extra - it's how web copy should be written! Do not pay extra for it! The only things you should expect to pay extra for are keyword analyses, adding the HTML code for unmarked text links, providing guidance on site structure, sourcing of inbound links to your site, etc. SEO copy by itself should cost no extra. 10) Writing Experience for Online Media Writing for an online medium is entirely different to writing for print. Readers have different requirements and objectives, and reading conditions are very different. Make sure your website copywriter knows how to cater to these differences. Ask them to recommend a maximum page length or word count per page. The correct answer should include some comment on the trade-off between the problems of scrolling and the need for a high keyword count for SEO. Ask them whether they prefer long sentences or short (and hope to hear "short"). Ask them whether they will include lots of text links within the main body of the copy, and if so, will they appear as regular links (colored and underlined) or will they be unmarked. Professionally written copy can mean the difference between a great looking site and a great looking site THAT EARNS YOU MONEY. Choose your website copywriter carefully. About The Author * Glenn Murray is an SEO copywriter and Article Submission Specialist. He is a director of PublishHub and also of copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit http://www.divinewrite.com or http://www.publishhub.com for further details, more FREE articles, or to purchase his e-book, 'SEO Secrets'.
MORE RESOURCES:
Original content improves on-page SEO so copywriting is also an ... - NewDesignWorld (press release)
Copywriting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Formulas Freelance Copywriters Employ When Creating Web Content What is it exactly that copywriters DO when they produce new text for a site makeover? You often see the advertisements; a designer is looking for a freelance web writer who is going to create content around a number of keywords. There's not a lot more information about the process. Four Simple Steps to Improve Your Sales Copy You know what it's like, you're reading the sales material about a product you're considering buying, but, as you read, all these questions seem to pop into your mind, but there's no-one there to answer them, so you shelve your plans to purchase.If it happens to you, you can guarantee it also happens to your customers when they read your sales copy. Five Keys To Leaner and Meaner Copywriting Grab 'em and don't lose 'em. Every marketer knows that one. Six Reasons You Don't Need a Technical Writer (and Why They're Dead Wrong!) I know, I know. Times are tough. Super Verbs Really Move Your Copy Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You can boost the power of your copy by boosting the quality of verbs you use. Verbs show action, and the way you describe that action can have a dramatic bearing on your readers. Copywriting Secrets Of Indias Mystics Hi everyone,Been ruminating on this one for a little while now but it's probably one of the most profound discoveries of my life. It all began with a little book about music and it's had such a deep influence on my copywriting and small business, indeed my whole outlook on life, I'd like to share it with you all now. How to Write Profitable Ads Regardless of how you look at it, the most important aspect ofany successful business is its advertising. In fact,the success of any business is largely dependent on good advertising. Boost Your B to B Marketing Copy: 3 Major Copywriting Blunders and How to Correct Them When you're writing or evaluating copy for a B to B marketing (also referred to as b-to-b or business to business marketing) campaign of any kind, you may think it's only appropriate to write formal copy in which you refer to yourself as "we" or "our organization" and let lots of other copywriting basics fly out the window.Sadly, these sorts of mistakes are the result of the major misconception that you have to be cold and impersonal in your copy if you want to seem professional. Copywriting Tricks: Nailing the Voice Professional copywriters are well-familiar with what's commonly referred to as "the voice." What is this exactly, and why do you need to master it in your writing?If writing is icecream, then "the voice" is the flavor in your scoop. Is Your Web Copy Plain Talk? It's true, we were all taught in school to express ourselves differently on paper, than the way we speak. To follow rules of grammar, and inject an artificial air of formality. On Copying and Stealing Designs The notion on the great artist, Pablo Picasso's quote, "Bad artists copy. Good artists steal" is lost on many. Writing Great Website Sales Copy Many small businesses fail because their owners don't pay enough attention to marketing and sales. Part of the effectiveness of a marketing effort is directly related to the sales copy you produce. Sell Anything To Anyone On The Internet With Hypnotic Writing I imagine you are the type of person who really wants to make your idea a reality. I also think that you fall into one of two groups; the first is a person who WANTS to succeed but does not know how. Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 1 of 2 One statistic shows that over 80% of all buying decisions are emotional. That means your copywriting should be, too. Top 7 Things To Do Before You Hire A Copywriter Now that you've decided to hire a copywriter, how do you go about finding one? Here are seven things to look for to make sure the match is a good one.#1 - Define your expectations. 16 Golden Rules of Master Copywriting You could spend thousands of dollars on advertisement and have extremely low or no results in sales because of your poor planed copy. You shouldn't be amazed by the fact that huge corporations all over the world do that mistake and waste millions of dollars on false advertisement campaigns. How Not to Write a Press Release Several years ago, when I was working for an agency, I was fired from an account. What that means is the client didn't want me writing for him anymore. Copywriting for Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, and the Mystic Audience These days, you don't have to traverse the dark forest on the eve of the Full Moon to find a gypsy, psychic or "intuitive" as many now call themselves. Chances are, the local astrologist or tarot reader is making more than a comfortable living for herself in a corporate complex near you. Your Article Headlines will Make or Break Your Business Most people with an online presence will have to regularly deal with the issue of coming up with an appropriate headline. The problem is that most people do not take it seriously enough. The Second Most Important Element of Your Ad... after the Headline Hi {FIRSTNAME Friend},Next time you're flicking through your local newspaper, take a good hard look at the ads. And notice how many of them give you a compelling reason to pick up the phone and get in touch with them now.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
