How the website copywriting process works

I’ve already touched on the basics of website copywriting. Now, I’d like to present a more elaborate explanation of exactly what website copywriting entails.

Why should I do such a thing?

For starters, I think it’s only fair that my clients understand what I do for them, what they’re paying me for, and how I handle their projects.

Also, I’m discomforted by the idea that some small businesses are paying for website copy that’s thrown together in a matter of minutes. That gives me the shudders. If you hire someone to write your copy and pay a fair rate, you deserve quality service. You deserve someone who will put time, effort, and energy into your project.

I’m a methodical person, and I use methodology to my advantage in the services that I provide. Over time, I’ve developed a process that allows me to tackle website copywriting projects in a way that is both efficient and effective. Basically, I follow a series of steps, but they are flexible and allow room for creative thinking and word play. I find that using this process makes the work flow more smoothly while simultaneously making it more fun. Yep, I love what I do.

Because I know which steps I need to take and the order in which I need to take them, I can focus on creating quality content instead of worrying about how I’m going to get it done.

Here’s how I do it:

Step One: Understand the Project

The first step in any website copywriting project is simple: understand the clients’ needs. I need to know where the copy will be published, whether there are any space limitations, and if I should be using any keywords for SEO. I also need to establish the desired call to action. In other words, when website visitors read the copy, what should it encourage them to do next?

Step Two: Get to Know the Client’s Business

I can’t write a single word until I have a good, thorough understanding of my client’s business. It’s not enough to know that they sell carburetors. I need to know what kind of carburetors they sell, to whom their carburetors are sold, how much they are sold for, and whether or not they offer carburetor installation or just the actual carburetors. I also like to know how the business got started, who runs it, and their mission and philosophy.

Step Three: Collect and Review Materials

Before I start writing, I usually collect all my information into a single file. Sometimes it’s just a Word document filled with notes, links, and other tidbits that I’ve copied and pasted from email communications with my client. Just before I start composing, I like to go over everything so it’s fresh in my mind, and then I’m ready to write the outline.

Step Four: Outline

I love outlines. Some writers refuse to outline, and that’s okay too. But an outline usually only takes a few minutes and provides a road map for the rest of the project, which means I can travel through it quickly without losing my way or getting off track. Basically, it allows me to complete the work much faster, and this is a saving that I can pass on to my customers.

Step Five: Draft Copy

The outline is like a skeleton. When I start drafting, it’s much like filling in the skeleton — putting meat and muscle on the bones. This is where I get creative and have fun choosing the perfect language, images, and style to properly convey my clients’ message. This where I get to tell their story.

Step Six: Revise, Edit, Repeat

In order to let the light of creativity shine while I’m composing the rough draft, I cannot get hung up on technical details. If I’m worrying about commas and apostrophes or spelling and grammar, I cannot keep my attention focused on crafting sentences that compel website visitors. So, once the draft is done, I go through it several times to clean it up and make sure it’s grammatically correct.

Step Seven: Polish

Here’s a little writer’s trick: After you have revised your copy, let it sit for a few hours, preferably overnight. Then, come back with fresh eyes and give it a final polish. Invariably, you will find some unnecessary word that can be cut, some gap that needs to be filled with a catchy adjective, or even an empty space where a comma should be. Polishing leads to website copywriting that sparkles and shines!

Step Eight: The Send-Off

Once the copy is buffed to perfection, it’s ready to get sent off to the client. This is always a good feeling, the delivery.

Step Nine: Revisions

Everybody has personal preferences, and I’m no mind reader. Sometimes, in the initial project plan, a small but important detail gets left out. Like including a phone number in the website copy. Or using a special phrase (a tagline or slogan, perhaps) in the text. Maybe I used a word that rubs the client the wrong way. We all have our language peeves, and small business owners are no exception. I always invite clients to request a round of revisions to the final copy. This is usually a quick process and involves going through and changing a few words or adding a line or two. Most of the time, revisions aren’t necessary at all, but I still like to give everyone the option.

That’s it. My entire process. It might sound long and tedious with all those steps, but it’s a clean and proven way to provide the very best copy possible.

Website Copywriting

Scribizzy offers a full suite of website copywriting services.

Who's writing your home page?

You can write your own home page. After all, how hard could it be?

You can also hire a website copywriter like me to write it for you. Either way, you should know exactly what goes into crafting a home page that is purposeful and effective.

Think for a moment about the role your website has in contributing to the success of your business. Think about how your site works toward helping you achieve your goals. Your home page is your store front, your magazine cover, business card, brochure, and television commercial all rolled into one. It is your number one marketing tool, and it has an enormous job to do.

The Purpose of a Home Page

The visitors that come to your website are like window shoppers. They’re standing there for just a moment, checking out your sign, peeking at your inventory, and wondering if they should step through the door. You have that one moment to capture their attention and convince them to come inside.

Each home page is unique but they all have one common purpose: convert visitors into customers. A customer can be defined in many different ways — someone who subscribes to a newsletter, a person who purchases a product or service, or anyone who signs up as a registered user.

A website copywriter has to understand how to dress up that window so people want to come in and become customers. If you can do that, convert visitors to customers, then you’ve written a killer home page.

The Five Cornerstones of a Killer Home Page:

So how do you get passersby to come in? Start by applying the following website copywriting techniques:

1. Understand the Problem – Customers patronize a business because they have a problem or a desire. Show that you understand their problem, and then…
2. Offer a Solution – Tell people what you offer on your website by clearly describing your product or service.
3. Explain the Benefits – It’s not enough to solve the problem. You also have to identify the benefits. In other words, explain how solving the problem will improve the customers’ lives.
4. Show Off Your USP - At this point, customers are wondering why they should buy from you and not your competitor. This is where your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) comes in. What makes you so special?
5. Issue a Call to Action - Lead the visitor to the next step using links, buttons, or clickable images. Take them to a registration page, catalog, or to the online store. Direct that traffic! This is where the conversion from visitor to customer happens.

To put it simply, you tell people what you’re offering and why it will make their lives better. Then, you explain why yours is the best place to get it and nudge them toward the cash register.

Website Copywriting That Makes People Want to Come Inside and Buy

Once you’ve established your five cornerstones, you’ve got the foundation for your home page, and all you need to do is develop the structure. Laying the groundwork is as easy as pouring cement, but building rooms and hallways, putting up windows and doors — doors that customers will want to walk through — that’s the tricky part.

Good website copywriting is a specialty all its own. There are specific techniques for writing a killer home page, an intriguing about page, or a compelling products or services page. And then there are skills that apply to all of the written content on a website.

Truly great website copywriting achieves the following:

• It is clear, concise, and compelling and looks good on the screen.
• It speaks to customers in a language they can understand.
• It incites visitors to take some action so they become customers.
• It focuses on benefits for the customer rather than features of the product.
• Good website copywriting always maintains the company brand and image and adheres to the company mission and philosophy.

There are plenty of other factors too, like search engine optimization (SEO) keywords, which draw visitors to your site organically through search engines. When keywords become part of the equation, website copywriting becomes SEO copywriting, and that requires even more skills, because specific words and phrases have to be worked into the text and formatted accordingly.

A website copywriter has a job that combines the skills of writing, marketing, and design with an understanding of how people use the internet and respond to web content. Anyone can write a home page, that’s the truth. But writing a killer home page, that just might require a specialist.

Scribizzy offers a full suite of website copywriting services.

What goes into effective website copywriting?

Recently, I was discussing website copywriting with a colleague. When I mentioned that I usually spend about three hours writing a home page, he seemed stunned. He told me that it usually takes him about half an hour to write a home page. On a good day, twenty minutes.

Interestingly, our rates were pretty much the same.

The whole conversation got me thinking: Do you really want your entire business represented by something that took all of twenty minutes to write? That’s not a whole lot of time to invest in a home page, which is basically your core marketing tool.

My colleague wanted to know how I could possibly spend three hours or more writing a single page of website copy. So I told him, and now I’m going to tell you.

What is Website Copywriting?

Website copywriting is nothing like writing articles for online distribution, blog posts, or press releases. Most other types of web writing require a basic understanding of a single topic, and many of these topics are quick and easy to research. From a writing perspective, such material merely involves imparting information in a straightforward way.

Website copywriting, on the other hand, requires a fairly diverse skill set and a considerable investment of time. The copy has to be well written in terms of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It has to impart a lot of information in a short amount of space. It has to look good on the screen. And it has to appeal to website visitors so they’ll become customers.

All of this requires research, planning, writing, and polishing.

Website Copywriting Skills

Quality writing is comprised of various skills. You have to know the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation (and know when those rules should be broken). You need the ability to craft a compelling sentence in a voice that resonates with readers. You have to know your readers and speak to them in their own language. And you have to be able to hook people, to keep them turning pages to read more.

Copywriting is a very specific type of writing. It’s designed to sell. Copywriting identifies not a reader, but a customer. It can be as straightforward as listing the benefits of a product or it can get creative, telling stories and playing on emotions in order to intrigue people into buying.

Website copywriting is even more specialized. To do this type of writing, one must possess all the skills of writing and copywriting, plus understand how people use the internet, how they read web pages, and what compels the average website visitor to scroll, click, and buy. You must know the business about which you’re writing and you absolutely have to be able to play the role of that business’s customer.

Gathering Information

Before writing a single word, a good website copywriter will establish a clear and thorough understanding of a client’s business. It’s not enough to know what the client is selling. You have to know how long they’ve been selling, how much they sell for, all the varieties of products and services that they offer, and most importantly, you have to know who their target customers are.

I start out with a simple questionnaire that covers business basics. Here are just a few of the questions I ask:

• What do you sell?
• How do your products or services help people?
• Why should customers buy from you?

Once I understand what the business is offering, I need to get a grasp on the company’s brand. Some businesses project a cutting edge image while others like to stay traditional. One website wants to be sophisticated, another wants to be down home. Understanding the tone that a website needs to convey is one the most basic but challenging elements of good website copywriting and it’s crucial for making sure that the copy supports and promotes the company brand and image.

But the most important and often overlooked element of website copy is the customer.

One of the biggest mistakes I see in website copy is a home page that lists all the details about a business without ever communicating how it will benefit a client or customer. That’s why a good website copywriter sits down and takes a long, hard look at their client’s business and clearly identifies the target customer before typing a single word.

The Website Copywriting Process

I keep a questionnaire template on file and customize it for each client. Usually, the basic questions I’ve developed will suffice, but sometimes I need to gather extra details, especially when dealing with a type of business that I’m not familiar with. It’s my job to learn my clients’ businesses, so I keep asking questions until I feel like I’m a member of their team.

Once I have the information I need, I start picking through it, pulling out the bits and pieces that are most essential to the page of copy that I’m writing. This differs from the home page to the about page, so I’m always focused on the objective of the page I’m writing. Is its purpose to captivate visitors on their first visit? Does it need to communicate the company’s mission and philosophy? Should it highlight the products or services or should it describe a particular product or service in detail?

This is a great way to build an outline. Eventually, my notes get molded into a comprehensive list containing the core details that need to be addressed on the page. This might include SEO and keywords or language that I need to use to convey the right tone. It may also include link placement and making sure that the text guides the visitor to take some action – usually filling out a form or making some type of purchase.

Next, I go through this list and start fleshing it out, filling in words, crafting sentences, and forming paragraphs until I have a nice, sturdy first draft.

After the first draft is complete, the revision process begins. This, for me, is an exciting step because it’s when I start to see what the final copy will look like. It involves checking for grammar, spelling, and punctuation to ensure the text is mechanically correct. I also have to make sure that the copy looks good; website presentation is highly visual, so the copy has to present in an aesthetically pleasing way.

At last the revisions are complete. To finalize the copy, I read it aloud, slowly, several times so I can absorb the tone and readability. Each time I proof it, I make minor changes and corrections until it’s completely polished and ready for publication.

That’s Why It’s Not a Twenty-Minute Job

As it turns out, my friend who writes a page of website copy in twenty minutes was timing his writing, and only his writing. Once I started talking about the research, outlining, and polishing, he nodded along enthusiastically and said that he does all that stuff too, but the actual writing only takes twenty minutes.

Here’s where writers start to debate. Is the research included in the writing process? I say so, since it’s an integral part of getting the job done. If you do all your your prep work, take notes, and spend enough time sitting there thinking about what you need to write and how it needs to sound, you could probably type out the copy in ten minutes or less.

But website copywriting is not the same as typing. It involves asking questions, conducting research, developing a plan of action, and then executing that plan. It has to be topped off with revisions, editing, proofreading, and polishing.

With every project, you go in with a blank page and come out with carefully crafted copy that compels website visitors. That takes a lot more than twenty minutes.

At least it should.

Need compelling copy for your site? Learn more about about Scribizzy’s website copywriting services.

Effective website copywriting converts visitors into customers.

What happens when visitors arrive on your website? Do they find the products and services they’re looking for? Are they compelled to buy?

Professional website copywriting intrigues visitors and converts them into paying customers.

If the writing on your website is sloppy or unclear, you won’t be able to convey your message, and your potential customers will become somebody else’s paying customers.

Making a Good Impression

Website visitors want information and they want it fast. The text on your site has to describe your offer, explain how it benefits people, establish why you’re the best provider, and persuade visitors to take action – order products, purchase services, fill out a form, or subscribe to your newsletter.

Plus, it has to look good. Website copy is not just about written content. It’s also about presentation. Copy written for the web has screen appeal. You only have a few seconds to make a good impression, and you want the words that represent your business to leave the best impression possible.

The copy should be well crafted with regards to grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Some visitors won’t catch misspellings and poorly structured sentences, but there are plenty who believe that the quality of the copy directly reflects the quality of the business. If these visitors spot a bunch of typos or determine that the content on your site is poorly written, they’ll simply go somewhere else.

Hiring a Professional Website Copywriter

We live in a do-it-yourself world. Technology has advanced to the point that a business owner who has absolutely no experience with code or design can get a website up and running in a matter of hours. It may not be the best looking site on the block, but it’s better than nothing, right?

Luckily, most business owners splurge for a professional design, but a lot of them choose to write their own content. Some enlist the help of a friend of family member, someone who reads a lot or who has a degree in English. But many entrepreneurs simply write their own copy and rely on spell check for correctness.

The general consensus seems to be that anyone can write, but that doesn’t mean that they should.

Most business owners readily shell out thousands of dollars for a slick, professional website, but many won’t splurge on professionally written copy. Think about it: the copy is the portion of your website that speaks directly to your prospective customers. It’s your sales pitch. Is this really where you want to skimp?

Professional Website Copywriting

Professionally written copy presents your business in a more professional light. When you hire a pro to write the content for your website, you’ll get copy that is correctly composed in terms of grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but you’ll also get copy that appeals to your prospective customers, presents your business and its offerings in a positive light, and that looks good on the screen.

Professional website copywriting is a worthwhile investment for small business owners. But a lot of businesses are struggling with a tight budget. Many simply cannot afford a professional design plus professional copy. These and other startup costs can really add up.

The good news is that you don’t have to start your business with an elaborate or expansive website. Sure, in five years, you might have pages and pages of content, but when you’re first starting out, you only need to get the core pages professionally written. So look for a copywriter or online marketing specialist who can help you identify the key pages to start with (usually your home, about, and product pages). Remember, you can always add more later.

Scribizzy

Scribizzy specializes in professional website design and copywriting for small businesses, and our goal is to help our clients convert visitors into customers. We offer a range of website copywriting services:

• Home page
• Static pages (About, Products and Services, Contact, etc.) and sales pages
• Confirmation pages and forms
• Blurbs, Taglines, and Slogans
• Blogs and articles

Not sure what pages to include on your site? We can also help with content development, and we offer SEO copywriting to help your site draw more traffic through search engine queries. Visit our copywriting page to learn more.

A few dental procedures gone wrong had made me wary, if not downright fearful, of dentists. So I need a professional who is compassionate toward patients with dental phobias and anxieties. I’m looking for a dentist with an extra-special skill set.

Since I’m one of those technology-savvy generation Xers and because I am also an internet professional, I launched my search online. Google gave me plenty of options, and I got busy perusing the many dentists within a fifteen-mile radius. Within minutes I had about a dozen potential dentistry websites opened, and I got busy reading through them to see which one would tell me what I wanted to hear: We are sympathetic to your fear of dentists. We won’t hurt you.

I happened across one such dentist early in my search. The text on his site was friendly and comforting. There was even a photo of him. He looked like a nice guy and not at all like the demented dentist from Little Shop of Horrors. But I wanted a list of dentists to choose from. So I kept his site open and continued my search.

A short time later I found another one that looked pretty good. As I started reading through this other guy’s site, I got this weird feeling. Haven’t I read something like this before? Haven’t I just recently (in the past few minutes) read these exact same words in this exact same order?

Two dentists. Same city. Same exact copy. Bad for business.

Good Marketing vs. Bad Marketing

I realize that small businesses have budget guidelines they must follow and sometimes they have to take shortcuts. But using generic copy on a website is never a good idea.

First of all, it was a little creepy. I mean, why would two different dentists have the same exact message? I’m not talking about similarities where one dentist says “Scared of dentists? We understand.” and another says “We understand that you’re scared of dentists.” I’m talking about the exact same copy, down to the periods, commas, and conjunctions.

At one point I had both of these sites open and was clicking back and forth between them, trying to sort it all out. My first concern was that these two dentists had been duped by the same copywriter. I quickly deduced that they had indeed used the same copywriter, but it wasn’t an actual copywriter; it was a copywriting service. Except the copywriting wasn’t a service; it was a product.

The clues let me to an outfit that was selling generic website copy to professionals. Even worse, the professionals were buying it.

Let’s Get Personal

In some situations, discovering duplicate copywriting on two different websites might not rattle me one bit. I probably wouldn’t have thought much of it if I had been searching for a mechanic or a home inspector, professionals who offer relatively generic services. But I am searching for a dentist. I’m going to let this person medicate me, drill holes in my teeth, and then fill them up with strange substances. He might even pull a tooth, and he’s certainly going to do whatever it is that dentists do to give you a sparkling smile. And if the same text on his site is on several other sites, well, then I know the words do not convey his unique message and don’t represent him specifically. It’s just out-of-the-box text. And for all I know, he might not mean a single word of it.

Now, maybe the cost of losing one perspective customer was worth the savings that these two dentists enjoyed by buying canned copy rather than hiring a copywriter. But I doubt I’m the only individual who noticed the duplicate copy and I also doubt that I’m the only person who was completely turned off by it.

I realize that because I’m professional website copywriter, I have a special way of looking at this situation. And because I don’t sell generic text, one would expect me to find such practices… well, distasteful. But I’m also a customer, a client, and a patient. Especially as a patient with some measure of dental phobia, I am anything but comforted by this plastic messaging.

When is Generic Acceptable?

Businesses are always trying to find a way to make a buck. I guess someone, somewhere thought it would be a good idea to write some web content for professionals and then resell that same content over and over. The idea is probably profitable for the person who thought up that scheme. It probably also seemed like a good idea to all of those professionals to whom they sold generic copy.

Some products and services can definitely get away with being generic. Website templates and stock photos are a good example of marketing materials that could be considered generic but are often employed, even by big businesses with large budgets.

But website copywriting just can’t get away with being generic. There’s a difference between a generic photo used for business and generic words used to speak to your customers. My own reaction was something like, “You don’t care enough about your patients (or your work) to send a more personalized message, and now you expect me to let you inside my mouth with pointy tools?”

Entrepreneurs and professionals need to be cognizant that marketing copy is a direct form of communication. While imagery and design can be powerful, language allows you to speak to your customers clearly and personally. There’s nothing clear or personal about canned text.

Last Words: Generic Website Copywriting and the SEO Effect

There’s one more consideration that I want to quickly address and will discuss at greater length in a future article: SEO (search engine optimization) and duplicate content. Because not only did these two dentists engage in online marketing tactics that have a distinct capacity to discourage (rather than encourage) new patients, this generic copywriting strategy could also have a detrimental effect on their search engine traffic.

Most SEO specialists agree that duplicate content across different websites is frowned upon by search engines. In other words, if a search engine sees that two sites are using the exact same copy, they both lose points and fall back on the search engine results page. This means that in addition to scaring off prospective clients, the copy that these two dentists were using could be hindering the amount of traffic they attract to their websites from search engines. That means fewer visitors and customers.

Like I said, generic website copywriting is just bad for business.

I’m sure that the two dentists have successfully brought in new patients from their websites. But they’ll never know how many potential patients they have lost.