5 Reasons to Hire a Professional Web Copywriter

In our many Web engagements clients often question whether they need an outside writer on the project. The reason for rumination is usually either related to budget or whether internal resources have the time to get the job done. From experience I believe that hiring an outside writer is necessary and often mandatory. Here are five reasons to consider:

1. Save Time
Most clients have a short timeframe in which to create a website. Content is arguably the most important component. In our experience, content development is the single thing that we’ve seen blow schedules. Content development takes time and a review cycle. Busy executives who have a web writing assignment added to their already full schedule, understandably tend to back burner it in favor of client work. Working with an outside copywriter takes that pressure off and allows the schedule to be maintained.

2. Provide Objectivity
It can be challenging to keep a fresh perspective when you work in a company and most of your exposure is to other company insiders. It is easy to become enamored of your product or service and view the world from that prism. Adding a professional writer, with a broad perspective and top communication skills, to the team will avail you of new ideas and potentially a different and compelling way to share your value.

3. Establish Messaging and Brand Cohesiveness
Nothing less than the success of the website is dependent on having the right messaging. A professional copywriter is trained to ask the right questions and distill pithy content from the answers. A good writer is also aware of all of the ways your brand is presented to customers and prospects and looks for ways to present cohesive messaging.

4. Be Brief
It’s common knowledge that nobody reads anymore. More accurately, people skim web content, looking for relevancy. Not only does messaging need to be branded, it needs to be brief. As Mark Twain said, “Successful writing is not made of what is in it, but what is left out of it.”

5. Optimize for SEO
Copywriting and SEO go hand-in-hand. Optimizing your website for Search is an important part of the web development process. The first step is to identify key words and key phrases. The skill then is in embedding those key words and phrases into the content. A good copywriter can liberally apply key words and phrases while maintaining brevity, messaging and a natural flow to the language.

Together, these 5 points present compelling reasons for adding a professional copywriter to your team for your next web project.