Creating Web Copy With A Professional Copywriter

If your business has never worked with a professional copywriter, you might find yourself pulling the trigger when you need copy for your website. Creating web copy is a particular skill and many business owners start out thinking they’ll do it themselves, only to discover that writing for their own website is stickier than they anticipated. So they try to find a copywriter on the double.

Experienced this? You’re not alone. Even for those of us who write for a living, creating our own web copy is scary. And s.l.o.w.

That’s because writing about your own work can push you into a navel-gazing loop: You know way too much about your area of expertise. You don’t know where to start. You don’t know when to stop. You don’t know what to write and what not to write. Your web copy ends up being either too technical or so sparse that it isn’t clear.

Alright, then. How does a professional copywriter help?

Hiring a professional copywriter outside your industry, and outside your very full brain, makes the process smoother. 

A copywriter knows:

What questions to ask. 

Copywriters do this all the time, so they have a system in place for getting the kind of information from you and your team that will help visitors navigate and get value from your website.

How to structure your web pages. 

They know what sections you need on each page and where each type of information will be most effective. They also know much copy is too much.

How to craft effective, accessible copy. 

They know how to break down information so it’s digestible. And how to write clear, engaging words that draw people in and keep them reading.

How to work with other creatives. 

Professional copywriters are used to working with web builders, graphic designers, branding experts, photographers, and other creatives who may be involved in the process.

You’ve hired a professional copywriter. Now what?

The process will vary depending on who you’ve hired to create your web copy. But no matter who you’re working with, it will likely include some variation on these steps:

Discovery

Your copywriter will need to learn about your industry, your business’s backstory, and your founding motivation and vision. They’ll also need to learn about your audience, their pain points, and the benefits of your work. They may get this information from you through an extended interview, a questionnaire, or a messaging session.

Planning

You’ll need to talk through the entire site—ideally with both your copywriter and a web designer. During this phase, you’ll decide which pages to include, what general information goes on each one, and make or solidify important marketing decisions, like whether or not you’ll maintain a blog. Your creative team will help you decide on the best approach. 

Composition

During the composition phase, your copywriter will be busy behind the scenes, crafting the first draft of your web pages. This is when you get to do other things! Because they’re on it. Once it’s done, they’ll deliver drafts to you based on a pre-arranged schedule. It’s not unusual to get a page at a time.

Editing and Approval

Once your copywriter delivers a draft to you, it’s your turn to give feedback. Be sure to respond as soon as you can to keep the process moving. Your copywriter will need to know if they’ve included all the information and also if the tone and phrasing feels right to you. Creating web copy that reads well is a copywriter’s job. So be sure to engage fully in this part of the process. The more feedback you offer, the more they’ll be able to emulate a vibe that feels right to you. Once you approve a page, it’s ready for the next phase.

Pre-Publication

Once the drafts are edited and approved, it’s time to pass the copy along to your web designer. But that’s not quite the end for your copywriter. Once the copy is up on your site, but before it’s published, they may want to take one more look. I always do this to try and catch any sneaky typos or to shift around wording that looks different in context than it did in a Word document. Once the copy is polished, the designer or web builder will launch whenever you approve the full project.

Any questions about how the process might look for your business? I’m happy to answer them. Drop me a line and we can talk.