Fact. Every business needs a kick-ass website content writer (yes, yours too).
From small startups to international corporations, everyone needs clear, concise and persuasive web content.
That's because strangers from all over the world will visit your website 24/7 to discover more about you and your product or service.
In other words, a good website is one heck of a calling card.
Your visitors will linger if:
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They understand how you can help them
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They want to know more
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They like the cut of your jib (so to speak)
And they'll be off like a shot if your website bores, confuses or underwhelms them.
All of which means that your content needs to be clear, persuasive, and so perfectly in harmony with your audience's desires that they want to tattoo your URL onto the inside of their eyelids.
And that's why you need a copywriter.
Website copywriters – also known as website content writers – are here to make the words on your website work harder than a cat with a pack of Pringles.
GREAT WEB COPYWRITING CAN:
Get your customers onside quickly.
Explain complex products and services so that anyone can understand them.
Show your audience what to do next.
Sell your stuff while you're fast asleep.
Hi, I'm Mike. I'm the guy people turn to when they're launching or relaunching a website and want more 'zig-a-zig' than 'ah'.
'But can't I just get AI to give me killer web copy?'
Nope!
Dream on!
Because AI still pretty much sucks when it comes to original, on-brand copy. Trust me!
AI in 2024 means generic content that will or may soon be penalised by Google.
Sure!
If you think a rewrite based on everything else ever written is the route to orginal content!
If you're dermined to save a few £££ and go down the AI route, I can knock C3PO's copy into shape for you. Ask about my AI editing services.
"Conversion rates have risen considerably"
"Mike's website copywriting has been transformative for my site. Since having him rewrite everything, conversion rates have risen considerably. Mike gives me exactly what I want first time, every time."
James Mallinson, founder, Fix My Mind
Book me in. You're in good company...
Did you know?
88%
of website visitors will never return if your site sucks.
So get content that rocks.
5.9
is the number of seconds a user
spends on an average site.
So, duh! Don't be average!
70%
of websites lack a
clear call to action (CTA).
So be clear. Crystal.
How it works: what happens when you get this guy in as your website copywriter
Website projects can be taxing. Bring a proven expert copywriter in and get off to the best possible start.
1. We'll nail the perfect brief
4. Killer copy – just for you
I'll write my little socks off, with your goals, audience and CTAs in mind.
2. Like your competitors – but better
Let's not shy away from the genius of others. We'll see what's working and ramp it up a notch.
5. A starter kit for your designer
Your web copy is delivered with rough visuals so those all-important words don't lose their impact.
3. All eyes on UX, conversion and SEO
Don't waste your web real estate on pointless or confusing content! I'll take care of everything.
6. A comprehensive round of revisions
Need me to tweak the hell out of anything? Ask away! It's included in the fee.
Lovely. But what does freelance website content writing and copywriting cost?
What UK copywriters charge per day, according to the 2024 ProCopywriters study.
£250 – £2,000+
To answer the $64,000 question – it's not going to cost $64,000!
I work with small business founders, marketing teams of mid-sized companies and top teams within large corporations.
No matter who you are, price is going to be a factor. It would be wrong to try and pull the wool over your eyes and suggest that good web copywriting is cheap, because it isn't.
Investing in a website is a big decision, and if you want it done properly... it takes time.
While my rates are not low, I definitely love to provide great value.
Every quote is tailored to the needs of the client – and every client request is different.
So I can't state that "a website is £2,000" or "a blog is £250" any more than Nike can say "a pair of trainers is £75.99." It depends on what you're looking for.
These are some of the many variables that affect the price:
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Number of pages
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Length of pages
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Size of business
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Urgency
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Briefing and research requirements
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Complexity of business
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Approval process expectations
Why does the size of a business affect the price?
Different-sized businesses have different requirements – and budgets to match.
For example, a small startup may think that spending £2,000 on writing a website is expensive – so they may want to make a few compromises.
A larger organisation may not flinch at 10 x that.
Part of the process is understanding your expectations. Corporates tend to expect a lot more, such as longer onboarding sessions and more revision time.
Smaller businesses are often in the market for something lean and affordable.
Here are some ballpark website copywriting prices for my work in 2024:
5-page website: £2,000 – £5,000
Single homepage: £750 – £3,000
500-word blog: £300 – £500
About page: £250 – £600
Large, ongoing project: £5,000+
Check out my post on copywriting freelancers vs agencies if you're wondering how the two compare.
Why you need me (or someone like me) as your web copywriter
Website copywriting is not for the faint hearted. Seriously.
Sure, you can pick up a cheap web copywriter who'll do a bit of keyword research and hand over some generic copy. But is that going to be the best advert for your business?
Are you happily going to leave it online for years?
Probably not.
Writing for websites is what I do for a living. And I lean on more than 15 years of experience to help me do it.
Web copywriting is process-driven, sweaty work full of wild ideas, binned draughts, fussing over the right words, saying things out loud to assess the rhythm – and maybe even a tear or two.
It's something you definitely don't want to go through twice. Far better to get it right first time – by hiring someone who knows what they're doing.
"Full of great ideas... amazing copy!"
"It's rare to find someone who truly wants to help your business grow, but Mike is that exception. Full of great ideas, he has helped with amazing email and website copy."
Any Brann, founder, Synaptic Potential
FAQ
Find answers about why people choose me, my strategy and more...
Why should I choose you as my website content writer? Writing for websites keeps me busy for about 60-70% of the average working week (the rest is split between other types of copywriting work – things like landing pages, brochures and so on). So working as a website content writer is the bulk of what I do. I've been a professional content writer for numerous different businesses, from ambitious startups to medium-sized firms. I write web copy for large corporations, too. As for the subjects – it's an eclectic mix. My professional copywriting services have helped everyone from property companies to creativity consultants; graphic design houses to packaging specialists; software companies to art collection platforms. If you're wondering how I can write high quality content for such a diverse range of clients, the answer is that everything comes down to a great brief and some research. I will work with you during discovery to learn about exactly what you do – and identify what you need for your website or content marketing. It's a two-way process, and together we will get to the finish line. If your sector is so utterly confusing that I don't feel up to writing copy for your website, I'll say so. There are plenty of web content writers around, and if you need a specialist you can often find one.
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What happens after I book you in as my website content writer? The process when you hire me as your freelance content writer for web projects typically looks something like this: 1. A client (either UK-based or from oversees seeking an international copywriter), gets in touch with either a rough or a very clear idea of what they need in terms of their web content writing. They ask about my availability and fees. 2. If I'm available and they want to book in my content writing services, we'll have a phone or Zoom chat to identify the client's precise requirements. Once I know what you want, we can agree on a brief and a timescale for deliverables. 3. I send out a detailed questionnaire to help me understand the business I am writing about. I need to know your goals, your USPs, who your customer is (target audience) and what you do better or differently to your competitors. This goldmine of information will help me to write your web content. At this stage, we can also look at websites of other brands that you like and discuss the right tone of voice for your business. 4. Further discussions by phone/email will fill in any gaps, such as what keyword research you have done or require, how SEO-optimised you'd like the site to be and more. 5. Once your web copy has been filed, you'll have the chance to ask for revisions – the specifics of which are different in each case. If you need a copywriter for website projects of any kind, why not get in touch?
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To what extent will you strategically plan out my web content? When you hire me as your UK website content writer, I'll take time to plan everything out so we have a route map that is based on logic, your goals and the reader journey. Then I'll deliver the copy for your web pages that I feel is right for your business – based on our original brief and my many years as a writer. I will also have an eye on what I can do for you in terms of search engine optimisation (SEO), and provide you with wireframes (simple web designs) to take to your designer. Experience counts for a lot, and I'll work as efficiently as possible when I write – and plan – content for you.
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What's the difference between a website copywriter and a web content writer? Not much, really If I was nitpicking, I'd say that website content writing was the 'lesser' of the two disciplines and better descripes the work of a blog writer, say, than someone hired to come up with a meticulously crafted home page or other critical web page. I see website copywriting as having quite 'scientific' undertones: it's very carefully created and purposeful work that sells, convinces, engages and more. Often, the most valuable website copywriting on a site will be the hero section on your homepage. It might only be 30 words, but it may have taken two days to get right. 'Website content writing', to me, doesn't do justice to a task of that magnitude. So if you see me in a bar, I'm a website copywriter. But if you say you need 'content for your website', I'm not going to down my drink and scarper.
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Does search engine optimization factor into your website copy writing services? Most of the time, yes. Occasionally, a client has no interest in SEO, so I won't spend time on something they don't want/need. Why would a business owner ignore SEO? One example is that their site has a very low domain authority, it's in a highly competive marketplace, and all of their new leads come from emails or LinkedIn messages. Their website, then, is more of a 'validation tool' that they can direct potential clients to once they have made a connection. Their site could theoretically scoop up some organic traffic with a robust SEO strategy, but they just don't have the time, budget or inclination. If you're 100 happy that all your site visitors are coming from other channels that you control, – and you're OK with that – why worry?
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What kind of web content writing do you do? I handle all aspects of web content writing, from conception to delivery. Or you can mix and match as you see fit. My web copywriting services include: * Website planning (including full wireframes for each page) * Homepage copywriting – complete with all CTAs * About page writing and products/services/benefits descriptions * Blog writing (including blog content strategy planning) * Internal linking strategy * Title tags and meta descriptions * Headlines, subheads, bullet-points and other eye-catching devices. My not get in touch to get a tailored web copywriting quote?
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If I ask you really nicely, will you write my website copy for free? No.
1 word
Are your keywords working overtime for you?
Many business owners already know that keywords play a big part in Google ranking.
But how does ranking work? In simple terms, Google reads your text, assesses the content, and works out whether you are a financial services product, a fashion website or something else.
Google also forms an opinion about the quality of your website, based on multiple factors, including website structure, loading speed, internal linking, images and the number of links from other websites to your site (backlinks).
The better Google perceives your site to be and the more relevant you are to the keyword being searched for, the higher you'll rank.
What your website content writer can (and can't) do for you
A website content writer/web content writer can only influence Google to a certain degree.
SEO (search engine optimisation) has multiple moving parts, and few (if any) web copywriters will get involved in technical SEO details such as robots.txt or sitemaps. These are the domain of dedicated SEO experts.
However, using a combination of experience and tech tools, a good web copywriter can work out what keywords you should be trying to rank for.
These aren't always as obvious as they first appear, and require an understanding of your business, your competitors and your audience's search intent.
For my own website, I have tried to optimise for common search terms such as 'website copywriter', because most clients come to me for that. But I've also taken time to include more obscure terms like 'content writer for web' and 'UK content writer'.
Adding these – plus terms such as 'writing website content' and 'marketing content writing' – means that when someone searches for those specific terms, I'll have a chance of ranking.
How to try and improve your SERP (Search Engine Results Page) performance at home
The skill of a copywriter is to use an appropriate number of keywords (current best practice is to aim for a density of around 1% or less) without making them stand out or interrupt the flow of the copy.
If you want to give this a go and attempt to rank for more keywords, start by using some free keyword research tools, such as the ones at wordstream.com.
You'll quickly spot some opportunities. And if you're in quite a niche market and tread carefully, you should expect to see positive results in your search engine rankings within a few months.