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.

This is the very first post for the brand new Wordish blog. I’ll be adding more content each week about all the interesting stuff that goes on behind the scenes here in my little office. I’ll also change the design of the blog once the main site is up and live. Stay tuned!