Online copy has to be written in such a way to grab and retain the interest of your target audience. Most website visitors spend 3 - 5 seconds browsing and scanning a web page to decide if it has what they need, so there’s not much time to convert them. Online copy also has to be written with search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques in mind and the content should include targeted keywords which will help visitors to find your website.
If you feel that your current online copy isn’t pulling in many customers then you might want to consider hiring a website copywriter. Website copywriters specialise in creating compelling online copy which can transform a website to bring out a unique brand and attract plenty of visitors. Choosing the right website copywriter or company is a difficult process so as you narrow down your search, make sure you ask these 4 key questions…
1) How can you turn a visitor into a customer?
The purpose of a website is to persuade a visitor to contact you to use your service or to buy products directly from your website. A good website copywriter will know how to create copy to appeal to your target audience and persuade them to pick up the phone or to make a purchase. Experienced website copywriters will also understand the importance of the ‘call to action’ on every page. A ‘call to action’ makes it easy for your visitors to buy from you once they’ve made their decision.
2) Can you show me examples of previous work?
An experienced website copywriter should be able to provide examples of their work on request. They will also put the examples into context for you by explaining who the writing was targeted to and what the purpose of the copy was. Once you have the examples, take the time to sit down and go through each website or article and analyse how they have tried to sell the services and products of various businesses and how effective they have been. A good website copywriter should be able to show you examples of copy aimed at different target audiences for a variety of clients in different industries to show their versatility.
3) How will you make sure that my copy is optimised for the search engines?
A good website copywriter will have a solid knowledge of search engine optimisation and be able to show you results of successful previous projects. Experienced website copywriters should also have the ability to source the most relevant keywords for your business and optimise the copy using these in the most appropriate places on the website page. Some copywriters can also offer additional services to help optimise your website such as creating blog posts and articles which can be uploaded to your company website and also syndicated out to other websites to help with link building.
4) Will you be able to write the copy by our deadline?
Most projects have a deadline whether it’s for a particular promotion or if you need the website content to be created before the website is designed. Before you agree to work with an online copy writer, check that they can complete the project for your deadline. Most good website copywriters are booked up at least a couple of weeks in advance so they may not be able to create the project straight away. Professional website copywriters will be honest with you and tell you a realistic time when they can complete it for you rather than rushing the job to get it finished.
