Website Copywriter Blog 2009
October 2009
Recent work
I've been putting most of my work updates on my freelance copywriter blog but as this blog has been somewhat neglected of late, I've decided to put my latest entry here. Besides, much of what I have been doing is website copywriting.
- The Bahrain business services company website has taken up much of my time, but is now pretty much complete. Flyers, html emails, sales collateral and ads to follow.
- A small project for a designer to do a leaflet in the run-up to Christmas selling 'Boys' Toys' on eBay and such-like.
- Some more work for the firm of Polish builders - sales letters.
- More ongoing work for Stage on Screen, which is finally coming on stream properly (again, see my freelance copywriter blog for details).
May 2009
New web portal
I now have a section on a new web portal for web design. It's a useful way of gaining wider exposure for my web design package. You'll find it at web designers in Hackney, and it's exactly the same deal that I offer here. As web design is such a popular service, it's a real challenge to optimise, so hopefully this will make a difference.
April 2009
Work update - April 26, 2009
Plenty on recently:
- Working for one of the world's leading digital agencies on the pitch document for a major international mobile communications provider.
- A new website plus sales literature for In-Cite process knowledge management
- The website which I wrote for Property Genies is now up - see the Property Genies website
April 2009
Small businesses not making the most of websites
According to BT Business, £78 million, or 25 per cent, of the UK's retail spend is expected to be online this year, but small companies are not prepared to capitalise on this.
Research from the group finds just 11 per cent maintain their website on a daily basis and only one in 3,000 are using keywords to increase the chance of customers finding them.
Furthermore, 42 per cent of the websites examined have pages which contain broken or invalid links.
So if you've been thinking of doing something about your current website - or getting a new one - now's the time to do it.
Website and copy package - further update
The combined website design and copy offer has now been made simpler, clearer, and even better value. You can read about it on the website design & copy offer page
Website and copy package update
I've just updated and rewritten the website design & copy offer page
In a nutshell, it now costs just £449 plus VAT to get a brand new website, complete with search engine friendly design and optimised copy. You can also get a new website (but without the copy) for just £199 plus VAT.
The cost of the complete website and copy package is actually about 25% less than it used to cost. The offer also includes more benefits than ever. However, the monthly hosting charge has gone up, although it's still very competitive.
If you need a website, or if your current one doesn't look as good or work as well as you'd like, I'd urge you to seriously consider this highly cost-effective offer.
Which part of your website should cost the most?
I've said it before and now a fellow copywriter has said it again. The content of your site is the most important part of it. It's all fine and dandy having a great looking website, but it's what in it that's going to attract a visitor and turn them into a buyer.
Here's how Laurence Blume puts it:
Laurence Blume on website costs
As he says:
'Where 24 separate pages of your site are created by a couple of lines of code from one .php page, the content for those 24 pages must be written individually, with care taken to put across the right message the right way on each.'
Exactly. In fact I would go further than Laurence in one important respect. A well-written site is of greater importance in attracting visitors in the first place.
It's true that a site can and should be designed to be as 'Google friendly' as possible. It must be easy for the search engine spiders to crawl around and index; a badly designed site can hinder this. But however well it's put together, it's just a framework. It'll do precious little to help visitors actually get to the site. Whereas the copy, with the help of some well-crafted optimised copywriting, will make an enormous difference to the search engine rankings.
It's worth remembering when you're factoring copywriting into the cost of your website. Or if you're tempted to just go ahead and write it yourself.
Site update
Have added a couple more websites to my website copywriting page
One for an events management company, and the other for a marketing company. Have done lots of website writing lately - more to follow soon.
I've also added a couple of samples of work for the Star Alliance network to my direct mail and brochures page
Website copywriter - editing your website
Here's a post from a fellow copywriter, Kate Naylor, about the importance of regularly updating and reviewing your website:
http://www.helpinthecity.com/blog/?/daily-comment/6-great-business-reasons-to-edit-your-website/?
There's lots of good stuff about keeping the text fresh, adding an offer and encouraging feedback.
Kate does also suggest adding an image of yourself if you're a freelance copywriter like her. Or me.
Hmmm. Well, I can see why people would want to look at Kate - though the picture is heavily pixellated. Not sure why they would want a pic of me though.
A couple of article sites have wanted pictures of their authors, and I have obliged. Though not with great pictures.
But maybe I should risk frightening the horses and get a decent pic of me and put it up.
Until then, you can actually find an image of me on this site. It's on my work samples page
It's the Vodafone brochure, with all the different people. I was intending, as the writer of the piece, to write myself a nice positive role. But in the event, the shot which was used, which was the best overall, had me scowling rather miserably. Hence the caption 'I'm as sick as a parrot.'
Next time, if there is one, I promise to try and look more 'over the moon.'