Website Copywriting, Is It Worth It?
Through many years working with a diverse range on SME clients in the website creation process I have learned in order to deliver successful web solutions, professional copywriting is a very valuable asset when managed correctly.
If you have been involved with web development before you will have probably heard the question “Who is going to be in charge of producing the copy and content for this website”?
In the initial discussions with a client it is crucial that the question of content creation is raised and answered before it’s too late.
So often the answer from the business owner is “Well I am going to be in charge of this”.
Generally the most qualified to produce the required content for a website is the owner of the business who lives and breathes the company. They know their customers, target markets and competitors best. They can even supply the initial keywords in most instances (albeit based on no research or analysis). No one knows better what their customers are looking for, how best to sell their products and services and what terminology is spoken in their industry?
There are however far more important questions that must be asked. Does the business owner:
- Have time in their already manic schedule to sit down and strategically plan the content for multiple pages in their website?
- Respect the importance of high converting content and calls to action within a web site’s content?
- Know that their home page is the make or break chance they have to grab new customers who find their company online?
- Understand the principals of online marketing and search engine marketing?
- Understand search engine optimisation and the importance of proper keyword analysis?
- Really understand the interactive nature of the web as a medium, the technologies and web 2.0 functionality available and how this relates to the production of copy?
- Know about the ‘title” attribute to a link, the “alt” tag to an image?
If the answer is “NO” to any or all of these questions then won’t you be doing your client an injustice by not alerting them to these points and offering a better solution?
Well fear not, the solution is here. An emerging field of experts ready to fill the gaping hole in the website creation process known as website copywriters have been breeding for some time now. Like all things in life, they’ve not all been created equally and from my experience it’s a little case of hit and miss to locate and select the right person for the job. Take note, web copywriters are not your typical content producers. These tech savvies have been brought up in the modern world, rich with information technology, their lives have been integrated with the web and technology from an early age and they possess the exact skills required to write for the web medium.
If you are in the business of creating website solutions and don’t already offer professional website copywriting then your not servicing your clients as effectively as you could.
If you are a business owner or person in charge of selecting a web design company then ensure that you query their in-house or outsourced copywriting capability. Use questions such as “Can you provide us with examples of search engine optimised content that has been produced by your copywriter for an industry similar to ours”? Be wary of a firm that does not offer copywriting either in-house or has competent outsourced partners. As the director of a successful web development agency I can assure you that this is a critical step in the creation of world class web solutions. A web design firm that doesn’t have these services at their fingertips obviously hasn’t yet learned how to overcome the project management issues that arise from content and copywriting production if left alone to the client.
A common question that may be asked by a client when suggesting the use of a skilled website content producer is, “How will they understand our industry, our customers and sell our services with little prior knowledge of the industry”? Website copywriters like any other content producer have the skills to learn and research any industry. It’s their job. Further, a good copywriter will consult with you to learn about your business and translate this into your web site’s copy.
Sometimes it’s possible for the business owner to find time to produce draft content which enables them to convey a personal message and spin about their company, which the copywriter may have missed. This draft can then act as a blue print for further copy development. Whilst preferable this is not essential as a good copywriter will ask the right questions and take a thorough brief that will ensure that they produce a quality draft. Like most steps in the website creation process copywriting will go through a rigorous revision phase that will iron out any inconsistencies and flaws.
However, despite all that you do to educate a client on the pros of utilising a skilled website copywriter, there will always be clients who balk at your recommendations and insist that they are the “only one’s” that can complete the content for their website.
I’m not saying that the client should never write or be delegated the responsibility of producing the content for the website, I’m simply illustrating the importance of raising appropriate questions from the beginning and ensuring the client is educated on the likely limitations they will encounter regarding their time and content creation skills. As experts knowing very well the dangers we face with the content production step in the web development process, it is important that we have educated our clients thoroughly on the pitfalls of not selecting the right person to complete in this crucial step and the benefits if they do.
If your client insists on taking the responsibility of content production into their own hands, be sure that they understand the associated responsibilities with delivering website ready content in a professional and timely manner. Alert their attention to the dependency that the website creation project life cycle has on the delivery of the content. A web developer cannot complete a website without content. You may want to highlight the following dangers and issues that can arise from not ensuring the content preparation is carefully managed. Some of the negative outcomes that may occur are:
- Loss of traffic to the website from search engines. This results in a loss of new customers, poor website visitor conversion rates and loss of product/service enquiries.
- Time frame blow outs! You will not receive the content when you need it to complete the website. This can sometimes blow out months and in some cases years. One question to ask yourself if you are a web developer is “Does our contract protect us from this happening”?
- Poor quality content, usually because whilst the owner knows the company best, their writing skills are simply not good enough.
- Little to no understanding of search engine marketing and producing keyword rich and relevant copy. This will dictate that no title tags, page descriptions etc. are present in the content delivery.
- Negative impact of the relationship between you and your client.
- Client unhappy about your overall skills because their website doesn’t perform well in search engines, or fails to convert traffic resulting in failed ROI.
Perhaps the production of a “How to write your own website content” pamphlet could help with the process should the client proceed with self producing?
I think we’ve established that employing and/or partnering with skilled copywriters with web and SEO experience will result in the delivery of better web solutions for your clients. The fact remains that some clients will insist on producing their own content. The question is then, have you satisfied your responsibilities to educate your client on the pro’s and cons of neglecting this important step in website development?
What are your experiences working with clients to complete the content delivery stage in website creation?
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This blog is really helpfull. We are about to design a new website and are currently reviewing our content. Thanks so much for the great tips!
Hi. This post is likeable and your blog is very interesting, congratulations!!