How to know when to hire a website copywriter
Copywriting and messaging is a massive responsibility as you grow your business, and if you’re like most brands, your website is the most crucial messaging platform of them all. You know that getting your website copy right is just as important as beautiful design and sleek photography, which is why at some point, you’ll probably find yourself wondering: Do I really need to keep DIYing this, or should I hire a copywriter instead?
It’s a tricky question. Copywriting isn’t cheap, and if you’re a halfway decent writer, it can feel easy to just keep doing it yourself, especially when there are so many other parts of your business you want to invest in.
But copywriting is also one of the best investments you can make in your business, especially early on. Figuring out how to talk about what you do clearly and persuasively and then setting up a website that builds real connections with your dream clients and guides them on the journey to becoming customers will make everything else you do in your marketing exponentially easier and more effective.
And while professional copywriting support can be one of the most transformative ROIs you’ll experience, there’s a lot that goes into making the right choice for your business. In this post, we’ll look at some of the key factors to consider when trying to decide whether to bring in help, as well as how to choose who is the best fit for your needs.
Here’s the shortlist if you want to jump ahead:
Reasons to hire a copywriter
You struggle to communicate your value
If you find yourself constantly explaining what you do, answering the same questions over again, or getting lowballed on price, you’re probably leaving money on the table when it comes to showcasing the value of what you do.
If this has you squirming a little uncomfortably, don’t worry—it’s not just you! This is a super common problem, and there are many reasons for it.
Maybe there’s a disconnect between how you communicate about your offering and what your audience needs to hear or the language they use when they talk about it.
Maybe you have a complex offering that is difficult to present simply and clearly
Maybe you’re focusing all of your copy on practical features (“what’s in the box”) without painting a picture of why it’s important and how it will make life easier or better for them.
A good copywriter will spend time diagnosing where the challenge with communicating value is happening for you. They’ll focus on understanding your business goals and objectives and get to know your offering and process inside out. They’ll research where your audience is struggling and the language they use to talk about their struggle, and they’ll also evaluate your competitive landscape so they know how you stand out from the crowd.
From there, they’ll come up with strategic language that positions your brand as the right choice for your ideal audience and your offer as the best solution to their needs—not just practically in terms of features and deliverables, but also the emotional impact and transformation that they’ll experience as a result of buying from you.
Your website isn’t driving sales as it should
This can look like a lot of things:
Getting low-quality inquiries
Getting no inquiries
Not getting enough traffic (i.e., your SEO doesn’t work…. or doesn’t exist)
High bounce rates (i.e. people are walking in your digital door, then turning right back around and walking out again)
I cover this more in my post on 5 signs it might be time to refresh your website copy, where I also talk about some of the fixes you may need to consider. If you’ve given that a read and are feeling overwhelmed or unsure of where to begin (there are a lot of options!), that’s a good sign it may be time to bring in a pro.
You hate writing
Look, I get it: writing really isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Maybe “writer’s block” feels more like “writer’s abyss.”
Maybe communicating in your brand voice feels as much like you as a floppy cardboard cutout.
Or maybe you’d rather scrub mouldy bathtub tile with a toothbrush before sitting down at the keyboard to tap out a few lines inviting potential clients to work with you.
The thing is — if you’re going to try to generate business leads from your website, you really need your website words to be working hard for you.
And if that’s not something you can bring yourself to do, investing in someone who can make those pages sing will pay you back a hundred-fold, not only in increased leads and business but in the peace of mind that comes with getting it off your plate and done.
You don’t have time / want to stay focused on what you do best
Maybe you love writing. Actually, you’re really good at it!! And yet… hooo boy is it a time suck.
The truth is, good writing takes time. Time to research, time to think, time to write, time to edit.
… And that’s time that you could probably be spending on other things in your business. Like… your zone of genius.
So whether you have a website project you need to get turned around double quick, or you just need to stop throwing more hours at something that you can do but probably shouldn’t do, maybe it’s time to save yourself some time and hand this one off.
You need an outside perspective
This might feel like an unnecessary nice-to-have—after all, you know your business best, right? Yes, absolutely … but sometimes you get too close. It can become hard to make decisions or step back and see the big picture when it comes to how you present your offering or communicate with your customers.
A strategic copywriter does more than write; they become a fresh pair of eyes on your brand. They should be putting on their consultant hat to listen to everything you’ve got going on, ask questions you haven’t thought to ask, and then tackle the problems and decisions that have you stumped or running around in circles from a different perspective. They’ll see stories and messaging themes you didn’t know you had and shine a spotlight on your brand in ways you hadn’t considered.
Just as importantly, a copywriter is a stand-in for your potential clients. Because they don’t know your business like you do, they can see things through a fresh lens. They’ll make sure your website speaks to your potential clients in a language they understand and ditch any jargon or inside-baseball messages that might confuse readers, painting a clear picture of why they should choose you.
Reasons to hold off
You aren’t clear on your offer yet, or you don’t have paying customers
One of the first things your website copywriter will ask for is detailed information on your product or service, as well as info on your audience—think testimonials, reviews, and/or a list of clients they can reach out to and interview as part of the research process.
Why? Because they need the nitty-gritty details of your offering and a solid understanding of your customers to write copy that actually converts. They craft your message around the value you provide, and in language your audience uses. If that’s not yet clear, they’ll be working in the dark.
When you’re still refining your product or service offering, or you haven’t yet validated your business idea with actual paying customers, it’ll be hard to hand over that info… because you just don’t have it yet. Everything you’re doing is a guess and an experiment, and I can tell you from personal experience that will change—likely multiple times.
If that’s you right now, don’t stress. I’m not saying you need to wait until you have six figures in sales and a list of customers as long as your arm—a little bit of data is enough to start with. For now, focus on proving that your offer works by bringing your first few customers through the door and getting their feedback so you can better understand their pain points. At that point, you’ll have solid intel your copywriter can use to elevate your first round of copy into a powerful brand message that’s backed by data and experience.
You don’t have the budget
Copywriting is a massive ROI that has the potential to completely transform your business and how connected your customers feel to your brand, so it’s absolutely worth investing in when the time is right—but it’s not something that can be done on a dime.
That’s not to say there aren’t affordable solutions out there. (My Website Copy in a Week package is designed to be one of them cough cough 😉) Many copywriters who serve small businesses, myself included, also offer generous payment plans to make these projects a little easier to manage from a cash flow perspective. You can also look for smaller consultations or VIP days to help polish up a rough draft that you’ve done yourself.
But if you’re not there yet, that’s totally okay. I’d rather you save your pennies and focus on getting the foundations of your offer down and customers in the door. Once you’ve got your feet under you, bringing in a copywriter will make it much faster and easier to level up from the foundation you’ve built.
You just want someone to fill in the blanks on your design
If you’re days away from launching your website and your designer is tapping their toes impatiently waiting for your website copy… now’s probably not the right time to hire a copywriter.
Same thing goes if you’ve bought a website template and just want someone to plop the right words in the right boxes.
Why? I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: good copy comes before design, not after it. Your copy should establish the hierarchy and flow of all of your messages. The design builds off it, amplifying the message and making it easy (and enjoyable) for your readers to move through your site.
If you’re just looking for someone to whip up some quick text to fit your design, you’re missing out on the real value a copywriter can bring. They’ll think about things like customer journey, messaging hierarchy, and user experience to structure every component of your website (or email launch, or welcome sequence, or social campaign) to purposefully build connection with your audience and encourage them to take action. If you’re not ready to take full advantage of this, it’s probably a better choice to wait.
What to consider
It’s not just about deciding whether to hire a copywriter—it’s also about figuring out who to hire.
There are a number of factors that come into play here, and it’s a surprisingly personal decision. The weight you give them will vary based on your needs, priorities, and what you’re looking for out of the relationship.
Let’s take a quick look at the top ones you should consider.
Budget
We’ve already talked about budget a couple of times here, so I’ll only add—there is a WIDE spectrum when you start looking at how much it costs to hire a copywriter. That comes down to several things: their experience, their niche or area of expertise, how in demand they are, and the specifics of their process and deliverables.
It’s a little bit like building a capsule wardrobe: there are the investment pieces you need to last years—like your website and high-level brand messaging—and there are accessories or maintenance pieces where you’ll spend less (but probably replace them more often).
My advice? To the degree that you can, treat brand messaging and website copy as your investment piece. It’s one of the core pillars of your brand, and the ROI on getting it right will set you up for years.
Expertise & experience
Within the field of copywriting is a world of specialties. Some specialize in specific areas of focus, like launches or email marketing or brand messaging. Others focus more on specific industries, like software or the creative space. Still others (oh hi, nice to meet you) layer those specialties together to solve a very specific problem for a very specific audience.
As you build your shortlist, consider how well their expertise (they know how to solve a specific problem) and experience (they’ve done it before) align with the problem you’re trying to solve right now. The right choice for you will probably depend on the complexity of your product or service and how well you want them to already understand your industry and audience.
Deliverables
Okay, let’s get practical. What exactly do you need the copywriter to hand off to you at the end of the day? This could include SEO keyword research, a brand voice guide, or a number of revision rounds. Focus on the resources that will give you the highest impact on your marketing strategy—not just now, but in the long run.
Timelines
Good writers are typically booked out in advance, so plan ahead. Consider your own deadlines and how the copywriter’s availability fits into them—and remember that project length can also vary significantly. For example, my full-service brand message and website copywriting package takes 6–8 weeks to complete, while my website in a Week offering (coming soon!!) is not as comprehensive but comes with a much shorter turnaround time. If you’re in a rush, timelines could be a deal-breaker, so be sure to discuss timelines right from the start.
Making your final choice: my best advice
So those are the factors to consider, and the weight you give them will depend on what’s most important and where you’re willing to compromise or adjust.
But there’s also something more personal at play.
My best advice? Know what you’re looking for, not only from this copywriting project but from the relationship.
In my case, clients choose me because I help them talk about their brand in a way that feels just like them but that they couldn’t unlock on their own. They say things like:
✨ “Our updated brand message and design is like standing in front of a mirror — it’s so US!” (Livia Z., events production)
✨ “You’ve helped me see what my brand could be and what has been itching to get out all along.” (Tiffany E., PR specialist)
✨ “I love the way you took the time to listen and get to know me, and how you adopt my voice and write in ways that sounded like me (only more polished).” (Sabrina L., health & wellness coach)
✨ “I knew I wanted to work with someone who could sort of hear out all my pain points and help point me in a direction that would help my business grow. The way you were able to listen to all of my jumbled thoughts/questions/concerns and turn it into an organized doc that was so accurate to who I am and who I want to work with was amazing!” (McKenna S., graphic designer)
Keep in mind, too, that this can be the beginning of a much longer partnership. Your copywriter will get to know your brand, and working with them again in the future is a great way to reap the benefits of all the hard work you’ll do together over time.
Look for someone whose writing resonates with you and whose personality, values, and approach to business align with yours. Look for someone who will get you—who will understand what you’re trying to do with your business, and who you can see as a partner in making those goals and dreams happen.
I hope this helped you think through whether working with a copywriter is the right choice for your business right now… and if it is, I’d love to lend a hand!
If you have a list of tweaks you want done, but don’t want to do them yourself, let’s knock them off during a Brand Retreat Day!
I’m working on a brand new Website in a Week offering that pulls together your core website pages in (you guessed it!) just seven days. Join the newsletter to get first dibs when it rolls out this summer!
Need comprehensive brand messaging + website copywriting support? The Elevated Brand Blueprint is the way to go.
Reach out today to get started or book a free discovery call where I can answer any questions and help you decide which option is right for you!
