4 reasons why you need a copywriter

So you did well in your GCSE English, and your teacher even said you're a natural when it comes to writing. You've handled the writing of all sorts of emails, business reports and even your personal statement on your CV. In fact, everyone you've ever written to has kept your letter - your significant other has a box full of your love letters at home! Surely, you don't need to hire the services of a professional copywriter for your company website, right? Wrong! Here are 4 reasons why you need a copywriter.

4 reasons why you need a copywriter

There are many reasons why you need a copywriter to write your website. The skill set of a professional copywriter enables them to create uniquely engaging, effective copy that is optimised for the ever-changing trends of the internet. They can utilise special styles and devices that achieve results with your audience, and they can get it all done in a timely manner without it encroaching on your business responsibilities.

Think about it - just because you're good at DIY, you wouldn't choose to design and build your own house, would you? 'Creative Copywriter' founder Konrad Sanders argues copywriters are THE MOST important people in business, and that's just one of the reasons why your business needs copywriting by a professional:

1. Experience speaks

Just because you know how to write a nice letter, or have received praise for your amateur poetry skills, it doesn't mean you can write effective copy for the web. People read internet content differently from other materials, and a professional copywriter knows how to produce the content that hits the mark.

You need to hook the reader with clever headlines, include tantalising subheadings, and break up the copy with snappy bullet lists - copywriters use all manner of 'tricks' to ensure visitors don't get bored and leave your site. You need someone with the experience to apply these techniques creatively to make your website stand out and keep the reader's interest.

This issue can be made all the more important by the fact that you are just too close to your business. When you've been working in a certain industry for some time, you gain a level of expertise. This is, undoubtedly, a good thing, but you must understand that most of your potential customers simply aren't on your level. Start explaining the intricacies of your business to them, and they'll be left feeling frazzled. Add to this the fact that, for the inexperienced, writing quality copy can take time, and you can see that attempting to write your own copy simply isn't a good idea.

Your schedule is busy enough without having to devote lots of time to producing web content - doing that is a copywriter's bread and butter, and they can produce content very quickly and effectively. And you can't afford to not advertise - as Thomas Jefferson said,

"The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time."

2. Addressing the technical aspect

One aspect that is profoundly important for website copy is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This is the complex set of algorithms that dictate how highly a page will rank in search results on Google, Bing and other major search engines. You need to rank highly to be found by your customers - it's free advertising, and that's a no-brainer!

If your website is ranked on page one for your focus keywords you'll get tons of new customers coming your way. If you aren't knowledgeable about SEO, you don't stand a chance of achieving this alone - bring in a professional who can optimise written content to rank highly on the search engines.

Another key consideration for written content is the tone of voice (TOV):

• Do you want to write in past or present tense?
• Should you use first, second or third person?
• Would an active or passive voice be best?
• Should you write in a personable style, or do you want to sound more formal?

Making the wrong choices with respect to these types of questions could lead to your copy sounding awkward. Copywriters know how to make the best choices based on years of first-hand experience.

Not only that, but they understand the importance of consistency for establishing a brand identity. If you have other promotional materials out there, your marketing mix needs to be comprehensive and cohesive. A copywriter can look at all your brochures, press releases, adverts, videos, etc. and create new content that complements all the promotional tools you have.

3. It's a competitive market

Whatever industry you are in, there is competition out there for you to contend with. Every promotional move you make is an attempt to stand out from the crowd, and the only way to do this online is through quality content. There are many websites that are poorly organised and filled with poorly written content - you have probably encountered a few yourself! It is not a good way to inspire trust in your reader.

As legendary copywriter David Ogilvy said, "If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative", so you know what's needed for your copy to sell.

Even many high-end websites are an incredibly boring read. No matter how impressive the website looks, it will not get results if people start reading your content and aren't engaged. And by getting results we mean getting clicks and converting visitors into customers, and one of the most powerful tools to achieve this is a compelling call to action. This is what motivates a visitor to advance to the next step and do what you want them to do. This requires a carefully written section that tells people what to do, and requires the know-how and care of a professional copywriter to get right.

Great writing gives you an edge against your competitors, attracting them to you and inspiring them to stay. It makes you look professional and trustworthy, and it helps to build a strong brand identity.

4. Get a good return on investment

You've already sunk a lot of money into your website design and some pretty graphics for visitors to see. But without good copy to bring them to the website and keep them there, all that investment is wasted.

By avoiding paying for good content, you've only fought half the battle, and you won't get the wins you need without finishing what you started. Powerful, meaningful copy seals the deal. Words are what make sales happen. Your copy works hand-in-hand with quality design to achieve a persuasive marketing tool, so don't settle for anything less than the best!

Speak to us at Copify today to find out more.

Main image credit: Mikelya Fournier