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CRAPPY COPY LETTING YOU DOWN?

by | Feb 3, 2023 | Copywriting | 0 comments

PERHAPS ITS TIME TO INVEST IN A WEBSITE COPYWRITER

When it comes to your online business presence, the decision to invest in a website copywriter should be simple.

Your website might be technically brilliant or beautiful.

But if the copy doesn’t tell your readers what they need to know, your website is a dud.

If you’ve spent months building your website or thousands of dollars with a developer, that might seem harsh.

The truth is, spending money building a new website and filling it with badly written copy is like building a beautiful new house and filling it with cardboard furniture.

A photo of a room with a couch, table and lamps made of cardboard. The captions says: You wouldn't furnish your beautiful new home with cardboard boxes, so why would you invest in a fabulous new website and fill it with badly written copy. The message is to invest in a website copywriter.

 You won’t get the result you’re aiming for, which is attracting the visitors to your website who will buy from you.

Obviously, as a copywriter, I rely on people outsourcing their website copywriting.

I also understand that when you’re starting out, your budget might mean DIY is the best option for you.

This blog will help you understand the options for getting the best copy your business can afford.

CAN I WRITE THE CONTENT FOR MY WEBSITE?

Sure, but writing website copy that sells products and services is more than filling in the gaps on the website template.

Maybe you did well in Year 9 English, but that doesn’t mean you can write stellar website copy. Just the same way that being able to make pasta doesn’t mean you should open an Italian restaurant.

Writing website copy that converts is a skill, but it’s one that you can learn.

So if that’s your only option (for now), here are some tips to help you get the most from your copy.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

When someone lands on your website, you’ve got 5-10 seconds to capture their attention.

Your unique selling proposition (USP) needs to be front and centre.

You need to explain who you are, what you do and why you do it better than anyone else before they click away.

The right banner image will also help convey your message. Just make sure it’s not so big that website visitors need to scroll just to read your copy.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER?

It’s important to have a good understanding of who you are trying to speak to.

When I started as a copywriter, I’ll admit my customer was pretty much anyone who wanted to pay me.

I didn’t have an ideal customer, and I certainly didn’t know what they were looking for. So that meant my copy was trying to speak to everyone, which was pretty ineffective.

  • What problem does your customer have?
  • How can your product or service solve that problem?
  • What are your customers’ beliefs, fears, and desires?

If you’re clear on who your customer is and what they’re searching for, it’s easier for you (or a copywriter) to craft copy that speaks to them.

I’m not talking about ‘Fred is 42, lives with his mum and wants to learn macrame.’

I’m talking about copy that has customers clicking ‘buy now’ quicker than you can say cheese.

DO I NEED TO UNDERSTAND SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION (SEO)?

Your website is a key business asset, so I think it’s important to understand the basics of SEO. If you know what your customer is looking for, you have a better idea of what they’re typing into Goggle to find you.

I recommend starting with Kate Toon’s free SEO Nibbles course. But if you’ve already got some basics, I recommend signing up to her Recipe for SEO Success course. I should note this is an affiliate link, but I’d share it even if it wasn’t.

If you don’t have the time, or inclination, to learn about SEO, an experienced copywriter can be super valuable. A skilled SEO copywriter will do detailed keyword research. They’ll write copy optimised to get you found by the search engines and engage your customer.

READY TO INVEST IN A WEBSITE COPYWRITER?

Don’t assume you can’t afford to invest in a website copywriter. The rates for copywriters vary, as do the services they offer.

Another way to look at paying for website copywriting it to think about what else you could do with your time.

Instead of wasting time trying to write your copy (which is hard even for copywriters), you can focus on working in your ‘zone of genius’

If you can’t pay for a copywriter to write your entire website right now, here are some options to consider.

Get a copywriter to do a website review

This could be as simple as checking for typos and grammar, and making sure your USP is clear. They may look at the menus and see if the order and content on each page makes sense.

Most copywriters have software and keyword research platforms to help you understand what your potential clients are searching for online.

Check out my website review offer.

Do some training

While I’m all for outsourcing, I think it’s important to understand every part of your business (including your website) works.

If you want to understand how to write better copy, there are lots of options out there. I recommend Kate Toon and the Clever Copywriting School.

Buy a template

If time or dollars are tight, a template could help you get your copy on track.

Check out the Clever Copywriting School Shop for a huge range of affordable templates. Apart from providing a ‘paint by numbers’ option, the templates are like mini training courses jam-packed with tips and tricks.

Get one or two key pages written

Maybe you can’t afford to get your entire website rewritten. But could you invest in a website copywriter to rewrite one or two pages?

Identify the most valuable pages for your website and work with a copywriter to rewrite them.

These improved pages help to drive traffic to your website. And you’ll also have a page to use as a template to help you update the rest of your website.

CAN I CHANGE MY WEBSITE?

Of course, that’s the best thing.

Your website is not a tattoo.

It’s not written in stone.

There are things you can do – and keep doing, to improve it.

If you’ve outsourced the build of your website, make sure your developer provides training so you know how to make changes when you need to.

As your business grows, you can, and should, invest in updating your website.

TIME TO UP YOUR WEBSITE GAME

I hope the suggestions above will help you make some valuable changes to your website.

With the support of an experienced copywriter, some new copywriting skills and SEO knowledge, you can create a website that’s a valuable asset to your business, and something you can be proud of.        

Over to you

What do you think? Will you invest in a website copywriter to help grow your business?

If you liked this article and think it would be useful for others, I’d love it if you could share it.

Hi, I’m Angela Pickett, an approachable copywriter with stellar communication and organisational skills. 

I’ll help you transform your ideas into logical arguments and engaging copy, creating straight-talking sales pages and winning websites.

Like to chat?

I acknowledge the Ngadjuri, Peramangk and Kaurna people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work. I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. I pay my respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

I work with people from all backgrounds, beliefs and experiences. I believe everyone should have the freedom to be themselves and be valued for their differences. It’s what makes our world go around.