Need a website? Professional website copywriting services are a must if you’re looking to establish solid SEO rankings and online brand credibility. But choosing a shabby copywriting partner may do more damage than you realize. Here are 5 ways your website copywriting services might fail you…and what to look out for to find a better one.
1. They don’t understand SEO.
Inexperienced website copywriters might know the basics of SEO, but that’s not always enough…not if you want to get to page 1 of search engine results.
To have a meaningful impact on your website SEO, you need copywriters who understand what makes a website stand out in search engine results and how to weave those factors into your site copy.
Experienced website writers should also be able to offer you in-depth SEO copywriting services, like keyword research, SEO content strategy, on-page SEO, and general SEO consulting.
2. They don’t understand what you do.
Leading website writers are skilled in many ways. But one of their greatest strengths is their ability to understand your business. If they don’t have that or can’t learn what you do, it’s simply impossible for them to communicate it to others. Not in any competitive way.
We’ve seen this many times. Most writers have a passion for writing and they can write about everyday topics, but without dedicated experience in your field and the ability and willingness to learn or even ask questions, they fall short.
For this reason, it’s vital to use website copywriting services that know your industry. If not, they should at least have demonstrated experience writing on a broad range of subjects – proving their above-average adaptability.
3. They can’t relate to your audience.
The first rule of marketing is understanding your audience. Like knowing who they are, what they’re interested in, what problems they face, what solutions they’re looking for, how they speak, etc.
If your website copywriter has no experience in your field or insufficient EQ to grasp the needs of the people you’re targeting, the tone and style of their writing won’t land with your audience. Their work will read exactly how it is: as if someone who doesn’t understand your audience’s needs and interests has written something just for the sake of writing something.
You need more than this to attract a sustainable audience to your brand. In fact, if your website doesn’t relate to your audience, it could tarnish your reputation irreparably.
4. They misunderstand the user experience.
When looking for website copywriting services, you’d expect them to understand how people use websites. They’d need to grasp the user experience that most of your visitors will have when landing on your site.
When your website writer doesn’t understand the psychology of your website user journey, they’re less likely to categorize information in a way that optimizes time spent on your site.
Without a robust site map, the distinction between topics can get blurry, leaving your visitors confused and frustrated rather than relieved – a cringe-worthy experience that’ll have them bouncing to a competitor.
5. They simply lack experience.
Lastly, one of the main ways your website copywriting service may fail you is by sheer lack of writing experience. The more junior the writer is, the more chance you have of receiving:
- Overly wordy messaging that damages your SEO and increases your bounce rate.
- Poorly researched, generic content that wastes your copywriting budget, as it’s not great for SEO and potentially harmful to your brand.
- Low-quality work because their bar is set at getting the job done, not creating something of excellence.
- Copy that lacks boldness and courage that makes your business blur into the background of people’s minds rather than stand out.
Find exceptional website copywriting services.
We’ve given you a peek into the copywriting industry and where you may experience shortfalls… What now? It isn’t always easy to spot mediocre copywriters from their websites alone. How do you sort the wheat from the chaff? Here’s what to look out for…
Do they just say yes, or do they ask clarifying questions?
Say you’ve reached out to a website copywriting service and you’re discussing your project. Do the writers just say, “Yes, we can,” and wait for the cash to roll in? Red flag!
Experienced writers will ask questions like:
- Who is your target audience, exactly?
- How old are they?
- How much do they earn?
- Where do they live?
- How educated are they on the services you provide?
- How much will they know about your brand?
- Will they have heard of you before having landed on your site?
- Is there a degree of education needed before they can grasp what you do?
- Where will they be coming from?
- Will you direct them from social media, Google ads, or other channels?
- What do you want them to do?
- Is your goal for them to contact you or purchase something right away?
- What are the different ways they can work with you?
- Where does this website fit in with your broader business goals?
- Is this a startup that’s just getting off the ground? Is it a subsidiary of another business?
- Are you an established business wanting to rebrand?
- What style and tone do you prefer to use?
- Casual and irreverent?
- Relatable and informative?
- Warm and welcoming?
- Authoritative and industry-specific?
- Where does your brand fall on the scale between traditional and provocative?
- Do you have specific keywords that you want to rank for in search engines?
These aren’t standard questions per se, and they’ll change depending on how familiar the writers are with your brand, but you get the idea – there are many things a writer can and should ask when taking your website brief.
The insights that experienced writers gather from you help them tailor your website copy to speak directly to your target audience and achieve your business goals.
Do they manage your expectations?
There’s a process to working with professional copywriters, and they’ll likely be slightly different depending on the service you use. The important thing is that they’ve explained their process to you, so you know what to expect.
For instance:
- What do they need from you regarding a brief?
- What are the next steps once you’ve agreed to go ahead?
- When and how will you receive the deliverables?
- How are reviews managed?
If you’re wondering, ‘What now?’, they either don’t have processes in place, or they aren’t managing your expectations well enough.
Have they got a track record they can show you?
Before hiring a website copywriting service, it’s essential that you get a view of their work. A portfolio, case studies, or a blog will give you an idea of the quality of their work and what you might expect if they work on your project. If these aren’t available, go somewhere else.
Do they have many years of experience?
There are many skills and principles to master to become an expert writer. While having ‘a way with words’ may be the one quality connecting all writers, it’s usually only enough to get an aspiring writer into an internship at an agency. The best of us have years of training behind us, mentored by some of the most well-recognized writers in the world.
Don’t underestimate the difference in the experience you’ll receive when you use a website copywriting service with more years in the game. More experience makes the briefing process more straightforward and transparent for you, revisions are quicker and simpler, and you’re likelier to leave with everything you wanted (and more).
How much do they charge?
Your budget is important when determining which website copywriting services to go for.
If you’re new to hiring copywriters, cheaper writers may seem like the go-to choice. But cheap writers often come with less experience and skill. You’ll likely spend more time managing the relationship, writing and rewriting some of the copy yourself, and potentially rupturing any SEO or branding value you may have gotten from writers who know what they’re doing.
Weigh up the costs, and you’ll find that more ‘expensive’ writers save you more time and energy during the writing process, and they earn you substantially more business value in the long run.
The best website copywriting services for you
Don’t settle – your business depends on it. Tailored Ink’s award-winning website copywriting services come with a solid track record and decades of experience writing high-ranking, business-generating sites. Reach out and let’s see how we can help you with yours.
