Wordish has really grown in leaps and bounds this year. While my priority at the beginning of the year was to put up a simple site that explained what I do and gave potential clients the ability to contact me, it’s really become evident that I need to create a site that lets me share things easily. So we (Tony and I) will be working on a new Wordish website, with the finished branding and everything, over the next few months. I’ve been trawling around the ‘net for inspiration for the new site and I wanted to share some quick thoughts about sites that I like, and why I like them. I’d love to hear from you if you have any site recommendations to share.

1. Second and Park. I just can’t rave enough about this site. It’s simple, well laid out and makes you want to read the content – which is the best kind of praise for a content writer’s website.
2. Global Copywriting. Sarah is one of my business blogging idols! She updates her blog with relevant information frequently and she’s really good and drawing readers to her site. While I write lots of blog posts for clients each month, I have a tendency to put my own writing on the back burner. I’m hoping I’ll be able to develop better blog posting habits over the next few months.
3. Dossier. I adore the Dossier Studio website. Simple, fresh, it tells you what you need to know without mucking about.

I’ve noticed a bit of a theme with all the sites I’ve bookmarked for inspiration. I tend to like white space and pretty typographical elements. Perhaps this is a good place to start?

I just read a great blog post by Malcolm Davison over at Writing for the Web about how web content writers really need to think about how we design the flow of content on a page. I know when I write a website the overall design (including the graphic design) is a big consideration. As a web writer, my goal is to create a cascade of information that’s in harmony with the elements that surround it (images, navigation, advertising etc). Figuring this out helps me to decide how to structure my text.

Here are my thoughts:

• People are hunting for information when they get to a site. More often than not they’re not there by chance. They need to find the right information immediately or they’re gone.
• Headings work really well. They break up text into smaller chunks which makes it easier for people to read.
• The opening paragraph needs to be spot on. It needs to entice readers to read on. If it’s blah your visitor will click on to the next site.
• Lists are great. Especially short and succinct ones.
• Big words are a turn off and they don’t make you look smart.
• Proofread your text and get rid of unnecessary words.
• A website content style guide is a good thing. Sally Bagshaw wrote a great post about creating a style guide over at SNOBS. Putting a plan in place that covers how you handle content will save time and confusion -  especially if you’re not the only one handling it.

For me, I think one of the fun parts about my job is finding fun ways of presenting information. I’d love to know what other content writers think too. What works for you? What hasn’t worked?

In the past I’ve had a few conversations with potential clients about why they need to hire a content writer to prepare text for their website. 99% of these conversations go something like this:

Them: Everyone knows how to write – why should I use you?
Me: You need me because I know how to sell your company. It’s my job, it’s all I do. And I’m good at it.
Them: OK, but Julie in Accounts got a B+ in English Literature in 1991 – we can get her to do it on the weekend. Why should we pay you when we can do it in-house?

I smile politely, then six months later I’ll get a panicked email asking if I can write some copy ASAP because Julie from Accounts has gone AWOL and their site needs to launch in four days (true story).

Writing good website content is harder than it sounds. Generally I’ll do a lot of research before I even put pen to paper (or cursor to screen). I’ll research the company that’s hired me including past advertising, annual reports or other similar documents – I might even do a few interviews if need be. I make it my goal to know as much as I can about that company, their past, their mission and their message. Then I’ll get to know their competitors by looking at countless sites and noting down strengths and weaknesses. I’ll work on finding the right tone, keywords, a basic outline for each page, ideas for formatting and then, I may have enough information to start writing.

I’m not saying that writing web copy is beyond everyone but if you want it done right, you’ll need to pay someone, like me, to do it. Here are a few reasons why -

1. A web copywriter will save you time – you’ve got a business to run and a million other things that to do. If someone else can cross this task off your to-do list – let them! A lot of business owners have real trouble relinquishing control but the successful ones do and they don’t regret it.
2. A web copywriter will save you money in the long run - in most cases it takes longer for a business owner or an employee to write content which causes delays to the launch of your project. Any snag in getting your website online will cost you money, whether it be in hosting charges, web developer fees or simply lost sales. Hiring a good web copywriter guarantees that your project will be done on time and on budget.
3. Web copywriters are experts – writing for the web is different than other forms of writing, it’s a specialised niche and an experienced writer will know all the tricks of the trade. Your site has just a few precious seconds to capture and hold a visitor’s attention – if you don’t, they’ll be gone and so will any chance of making a sale. A web copywriter knows how to make visitors stay, and more importantly, keep them coming back.

Building a website for your business is a big thing. It requires the skill and talent of a lot of people including copywriters. You only get one shot at making a good first impression so bite the bullet and hire an expert. You won’t be sorry.