For free resources and downloads for authors and copywriting clients head to my Freebies page

Why Use a Copywriter for Your Website?

How much time, money, and resources have you spent on your website – on the design, domains, hosting, imagery, and development?  Yet the copy is the thing that clients are most likely to try and do themselves.

I’ve been involved in creating websites since 2005, and the number one reason for a website launching late is a client’s DIY copy.  Don’t believe me?  Ask a Web Designer.

Until you try and do it yourself,  you may not realise just how much work goes into the words on your website.  I always liken it to plumbing a bathroom.  You may have no experience, but a quick tutorial on YouTube and you could install the whole thing yourself…but hiring a plumber who is qualified and experienced means that they will know the best way to do things.  They’ll have ways that just work better than others.  They can anticipate and deal with small problems so they don’t end up being big disasters.  So yes, you could plumb it yourself, but if you want a professional job, you get a professional to do it. 

It’s the same with building a website.  You could go to Wix and get a free site, or you could go to an agency and get a bespoke system that actually helps your business.  One that ties in with your sales processes, and looks and sounds just like you – not like every other website in your industry.

DIY vs Professional Copy

Obviously I think it’s better to get a copywriter to write the content for your website, but why believe me?  My livelihood depends on you agreeing with me!

So, to try and convince you, here are 2 accountancy websites I found with a Google search – this is what happens when people write the copy themselves (I assume at least, they are not good – either way, company names have been removed to save me getting angry emails from insulted marketers):

Accountancy website 1:
“At XYZ our team of expert chartered accountants and business advisers are on hand to listen and advise to help you grow your business. An award winning team, our accountants and advisers offer a range of services tailored to your business and personal finance needs including: tax planning, audit, payroll services, bookkeeping, employment tax and pension and succession planning to name but a few.”

Accountancy website 2:
“ABC Accountancy offers high-quality, affordable accountancy services for small and medium-sized businesses.  ABC is a specialist in offering accountancy services to small and medium-sized businesses and offers extremely reliable, cost-effective Payroll & CIS and Bookkeeping and Management Accounts services. Our Personal Tax Return and Corporation Tax services are comprehensive and affordable.”

How on earth would you pick between them? 

They don’t tell me anything about the business, the personality, or the values of the business.  They are repetitive, and largely they make no sense!

  • Your Corporation Tax service is comprehensive?!  Does that mean you offer one where you only partially complete the form for me? 
  • Your business advisers are on hand to advise me?!  What else would they be doing?
  • You are expert chartered accountants?  I’d assume that all CAs are experts in their field…that’s why they got the accreditation!  What makes you different? 
  • “Extremely Reliable” – you are either a reliable person or you aren’t, it’s a binary concept, the fact that you are using the same USP as my 18-year-old babysitter does not fill me with faith.

The two examples are full of words but say nothing.

Right, enough critiquing for today – what would I write…?  Well, something that told me and their other potential clients about the company for a start; something that told me that they could solve my problems, and not take up hours of my time; and that they would be worth the hard-earned money I was paying them to take care of my hard-earned money! 

A great example of copywriter-written copy in the same industry is Quickbooks – their home page is full of words that take my fear away and solve my pain points:

“Always know what you owe.” Yes please.
“Maximise your tax savings.” Yes please.
“Snap receipts on the go and avoid hours of data entry.” Yes please.

Do you see the difference?  Rather than telling me about how affordable you are, tell me what value you are going to offer me.  Or better yet, get a copywriter to do it for you…and for the love of Thor don’t use the word reliable – you are business, not a Volvo.

If you are ready to give up on the onerous task of penning your own copy and get a professional to do it for you – get in touch.

Categories
Scroll to Top