Hire a professional writer for your website, and you won’t regret it.

Updating or creating a new website is a big undertaking for an organization. Even after you take the time to find the right website design agency, you have quite a lot of work ahead of you. Strategy sessions, site architecture, design review and perhaps the biggest mountain of them all: content development.

Want to know one of the top delays in a website design project? Content development when it’s taken on by the client. Simply put, it’s hard to find the time to organize and write pages and pages of content for a website on top of your daily responsibilities. Add in the fact that writing for a website is different than writing traditional marketing pieces – you have to consider design elements, character counts, SEO, multiple calls to action and more. Writing for your own website can quickly seem overwhelming. Do yourself a favor, hire a writer to develop your website content. Let me tell you why…

Someone else will do the heavy lifting

Develop a content plan with key gateways and deadlines and then let the writer get to work while you focus on what you do best. Concerned about losing control over your content? You shouldn’t be. There’s no denying that you know your business better than an outside writer, so share your knowledge. That content plan should include time for the writer to learn from you and perhaps interview others in your organization. Share your marketing data, audience personas and existing sales and marketing materials so the writer can learn your brand’s voice. Additional research into your industry and competitors will help round out the writer’s knowledge. A good writer will do the research required to learn about your industry, your organization and your specific strengths and weaknesses before they begin writing.

You’ll energize your content

How much time have you devoted to establishing a brand identity? That brand likely includes a style or voice for written communications. You probably know it like the back of your hand but think of the energy a fresh set of eyes can bring to that voice. Even the strongest brand personality could use some rejuvenation and a good writer will take your brand and give it new life.

On the flip side, maybe your brand is a bit piecemeal. It’s fairly common for a website to carry the voice of multiple team members. A professional writer can take all of those voices and give your new website a tone and style that can be leveraged into other channels and collateral.

Good website content goes hand-in-hand with good website design. Learn more about our process for content development.

Gain a better perspective

It can be hard to edit your own writing. Set an external writer to the task and you can edit with a more critical eye. You can also do a better job of comparing the writing to your key points and communication goals. Suddenly you take on the role of editor which creates a much richer content experience – and one more in line with your organization’s goals. Think of this as an excellent opportunity to polish up those copy points and freshen up all of your written materials – on and off line.

Develop a resource for digital marketing

Writing for the Internet or email campaigns or blogs is different than writing for a sales brochure or press release. When you hire a writer for your website you’re getting their online expertise and you’re also gaining a resource to carry your brand into new digital marketing initiatives.

Your website will provide better results if you leverage it with digital marketing. Now that you have a writer who is familiar with your company’s strengths, set them to work on a whole host of digital marketing campaigns that will improve your SEO and add value to your website. Use your time to work with your agency and develop a sound strategy, then assign tasks to your writer such as:

Regular blog posts
Content offers
Email drip campaigns
Landing pages

When you hire a professional writer to develop your website content, you’re doing more than just saving yourself some time. You’re adding a valuable resource to your marketing arsenal. A writer who can help improve your SEO, maximize the strengths of your new website design, and leverage your online content for long-term success.

Five qualities of a good professional website writer

Experience: Experience in your industry is a plus but a good writer can pick up that knowledge. Experience with the Internet is what’s important. You want a writer who understands the nuances of writing for a website – who knows when to consolidate information for the strongest presentation and when to get more in-depth for your audience’s needs.
Critical Thinking: A professional writer is someone who can step back and see the big picture. Someone who understands that what they are writing has a purpose and goal. You want a writer who doesn’t take things at face value but asks questions and is able to put themselves in the seat of your audience.
Marketing Background: Your website needs to generate results and you’re more likely to do that with a writer who understands marketing and can help grow your business.
Flexible & Collaborative: A good writer doesn’t take your criticism personally. You’ll find they are willing to go back and forth until the tone and style is correct. They take what you give them and make it stronger. And, they will do it while being professional and respecting deadlines.
Enthusiastic: You want someone who wants to write about your company (and will do so with energy and style). That enthusiasm will make the project itself more enjoyable and the end result stronger.