How much does a web copywriter cost?
How much does it cost to hire a web copywriter? That’s a darned good question. But a more important question is: what will the copywriter be doing for the money? Because I get it. You ask for three copywriting quotes and they come back with widely different prices. It’s so confusing the obvious solution might be to choose the cheapest. But you get what you pay for – so what do you need to consider before picking your copywriter?
# The copywriter
Not all copywriters are equal. Found one that only last month was running a cattery but after a one-day writing course is now creating web content? Hmmm – maybe a more experienced copywriter would be best. Check out their history and expertise, read their testimonials, look at examples of their work. Oh, and do you like them? My clients come to me because they’ve had a nosey at my website and love my vibe. They’re pretty sure that as well as being the right copywriter for the job we’ll have a blast working together.
# Preparation time
Getting the measure of you and your business is key to doing a cracking web content job. I don’t write a single word until I’ve rooted out everything there is to know about you. My preparation and research could include:-
* looking at your current website and social media platforms
* checking out your competitors
* reading business plans, sales documents etc
* doing industry research to understand more about what you do
* familiarising myself with brand and Tone Of Voice guidelines
My copywriting quotes reflect the amount of time I need to do this all-important groundwork. Some copywriters may not do as much. Some might just do the minimum. Me? I go to town. Which is why you might find it costs more to hire this particular web copywriter.
# The interview
Every copywriter will need to factor interview time into their quote. Generally, the more web pages there are the longer the interview. A good copywriter will have done their research and prepped their questions. An experienced journalist-turned-copywriter like me will take it up a notch and use their interviewing skills to draw out every last little detail. The result? Your website will have all the information people need AND be pumped full of personality.
# Creative liaisons
My preferred way of working is to write the content ready for the web designer. But there are times when the design has already begun and the client wants me to liaise with their web person. That’s totally fine, but I’ll have to factor that into my quote. Why wouldn’t I? I’ll be spending time on emails and calls and I may even have to rethink the content so it fits into the design.
# SEO love
Will your web copywriter be giving you plenty of SEO love? I’m not just talking keywords in your content. For each web page I write a meta title and description and permalink. All of these have SEO value as they show what kind of content the user can expect – which reassures them that they’ve found what they were searching for and makes them more likely to click through to your site.
Know what you’re getting
A web content quote should give a full breakdown of what’s included so compare what each copywriter is giving you. Will they tart up your testimonials? Write micro-content like CTAs? How many rounds of revisions? Will they proof read the finished website before it goes live?
Once you know just how much you’re getting – and the value that brings – you can make an informed decision on the best copywriter for your website.
* Looking for a web content quote? Oh goodie – let’s talk