Unique Web Copy’s Pricing and Rates

Why Does Website Copy Cost this Much?

Website copy isn’t cheap. And for some businesses, it just doesn’t make sense to invest in web copy before they’re turning a decent profit.

So why do we charge what we do?

The market is saturated with copywriters. Unfortunately, they’re not all cut from the same cloth.

Copywriting isn’t based on some top-secret formula. It’s actually based on three things: industry knowledge, market research and raw writing ability.

Industry Knowledge in Copywriting

A good copywriter keeps up on what works (and what doesn’t). Google’s algorithms are always evolving to provide searchers with a better experience, and copywriters need to keep up with that. After all, if Google hates your website, they won’t be eager to deliver it in the search engine results pages, or SERPs.

It’s not just about Google, though. It’s about current SEO best practices, knowing how your copy works in tandem with your website and its design, and knowing how to connect with your clients or customers.

A good copywriter knows that every business is different — and so are its clients. The primary purpose of your website copy is to make a connection with your clients, so it’s imperative that the copy is flawless.

Imagine meeting someone for the first time with a big piece of lettuce (or worse) stuck between your two front teeth. A homepage with flawed grammar, poor sentence structure or typos is exactly like that… except it will happen over, and over, and over again. Every time someone sees that horrible, glaring mistake, they’ll turn around and leave. They’ll go talk to your competitor because your competitor made sure to hire a talented writer who positioned them as the subject-matter expert.

A good copywriter knows that SEO is about more than just the words on your pages, and she’ll always steer you in the direction that will earn you the biggest return on your copywriting investment.

Market Research in Copywriting

Good SEO doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We have to evaluate what your competitors are doing so we can do it better. We have to understand your product or service, your business’s story, and most importantly, who your clients and customers are (not just demographically, but as humans). Again, the main purpose of your copy is to connect with your clients; nobody wants to do business with a faceless, robotic company that doesn’t care about connecting.

Look at Amazon. Look at Apple. Look at my website. There are appeals to your emotions, a little pressure on your pain points, and solutions to your problems all rolled together into neat, readable packages.

Why? Because that’s what works.

In order for a good copywriter to understand exactly what will give you the results you deserve, she needs to research your competition. She needs to get a feel for how you do things differently; she needs to get inside your industry to create a compelling message that actually drives people to work with you or buy your products.

Raw Writing Ability in Copywriting

In conjunction with expertise in SEO, market research and the psychology necessary to turn surfers into buyers, a good copywriter has raw talent. That’s not something you can learn from a book — it’s innate.

A good copywriter is a good communicator.

Frankly, not everyone has these abilities. In fact, many people who market themselves as freelance writers aren’t really writers. They’re mechanical and profit-driven, and they lack the raw talent necessary to communicate a message without readers realizing that they’re learning.

Your website absolutely needs copy that sends your message clearly and concisely, without any stupid asides or confusing tangents. The last thing you need is passive voice (unless your website is designed to help people fall asleep) and boring, “me-me-me” copy that nobody cares to read.

Why Copywriting Costs More than a Few Bucks

Essentially, you get what you pay for when you hire a copywriter.

Don’t get me wrong. Copy that you purchase from Textbroker or Elance might serve your needs. If you needed to be convinced to invest in good copy, one of those services might be your best bet. You’ll save a lot of money, but you buy it at your own risk.

If you’re a decent writer, it really might be a good idea for you to pay $20 for a homepage and fix it up yourself. I’ve known people who have done that with a fair measure of success — but the key is that you have to know what you’re doing so you don’t let mistakes sneak by.

If you see copywriting as an investment that works in tandem with all your other marketing efforts, let’s talk.

Call me at 202-930-2679 or send me an email. Tell me what you need and I’ll tell you how together, we can make it happen.