While I have written website copy for small businesses of all kinds and at all stages of their evolution, I've come to this conclusion:
For most service-based businesses, the best time to hire a professional website copywriter is after you have at least one full year under your belt.
There are several reasons why this timing will yield you the best results for your money. In this post, I'm sharing these reasons, plus my advice for what to do in that first year when you are waiting to bring in a pro.
1. If you wait a year, you’ll be clearer on your offer.
Year one for a service-based small business often consists of a series of experiments.
Some begin by offering a really broad range of services. They may then realize that they want to focus on the few most lucrative services, the ones they enjoy most, or those that their audience seems enthusiastic about.
In other instances, a service provider may start small with one done-for-you service and then realize that they want to keep that but add a one-to-many offering like a group program, a live course, or an evergreen webinar. They may also add digital products like templates, guides, or ebooks.
Either way, after a full business cycle, you'll be much more likely to know your core offers. This information will help your copywriter help you. Remember, the copywriter's job is to help you articulate your offer in a way that resonates with the right people and convinces them to take action. If you are fuzzy about your offers, I can't do my job as effectively, and you'll risk wasting time and money.
2. After a year of working with clients, you’ll have fine-tuned your process.
After a year of nailing down the "what" of your offers, you'll also be much more solid on the "how." As you work with real clients, you'll naturally develop repeatable processes that help you deliver the best outcomes. Finding ways to crystalize and communicate your proven process in your web copy is essential.
Potential clients will find it reassuring that you have a process and aren't just winging it. Your process can also become a differentiator, helping people choose you over a competitor.
3. You’ll understand your target audience better.
As a website copywriter, I aim to craft copy that speaks your target audience's language in your unique brand voice. To do this well, we have to be crystal clear about who your ideal customer is so that I can write directly to them in a way that makes them stop scrolling and take action.
After working with clients all year, you’ll be able to move away from a hypothetical ideal client and toward a fuller understanding of who you want to be serving.
Beyond that, you'll have actual clients to reach out to for voice of customer research. We can pose questions that help them share—in their own words—their problems, what they valued about your work together, and the transformation you helped them achieve. Their responses are copywriting GOLD, and while we can tap lookalike audiences for voice of customer data, connecting with your actual clients is even better.
4. You’ll have more testimonials and social proof.
Social proof is a crucial part of a high-converting website. Today's internet users expect to see testimonials, reviews, logos of your existing clients, or other forms of confidence-building social proof on your website. But gathering this proof can present a challenge to brand-new businesses.
I suggest getting testimonials on your site as soon as you can during year one. According to an A/B test by WikiJob, testimonials increased conversions by 34%.
After a full year of doing business, you'll hopefully have plenty of positive reviews, stats about your results, and other proof points to utilize on your site. We can strategize about which of these are most effective and where to put them. Remember, there is a strategy behind every word we place on your site. For example, we may need to overcome an objection or make a specific point, and social proof can be a great tool to accomplish these goals.
5. Once you've been in business for a year, you'll have the budget and time to do it right.
Most brand-new businesses are working with tight budgets and trying to DIY where they can. I've been there myself, and there is absolutely no shame in it! At the start of your business, you likely have more time than money, so attempting things like copywriting, social media, and bookkeeping yourself makes sense. Ideally, you'll reach a tipping point once your business is doing well. With a fuller client load, time will no longer be your most abundant resource, but you will have more budget to work with.
Working with an experienced website copywriter is an investment. Instead of spending scarce financial resources at the onset for someone who is less experienced (and cheaper), you'll get a much better return on your investment if you hold off and work with a seasoned writer who knows how to get results.
Good copywriters also often book out several months, making it hard to align their availability and your business launch date. When you aren’t tied to getting the site copy done in time for your business launch, you can be forward-thinking and schedule the project when you can dedicate some attention to the process.
You may be asking yourself: “But wait, what do I do in the meantime?”
You can do plenty of things in that first year to still put a professional impression out into the world on your site, all while preparing for working with a professional down the road.
Here are some of the things I reccomend:
Use resources from trusted experts (like this homepage copy guide) to guide you through writing primary copy and content for your site. Keep things simple. Include some personality, but let go of the pressure to write something that feels clever or like a marketer wrote it. Focus on sharing the information your audience needs, describing your value, and making it obvious what people who want to work with you should do next.
Keep a dedicated file for testimonials and client feedback. Build feedback into your process and gather voice of customer data that will help you and your copywriter speak your target audience’s language when you do update the site.
Take note of any common confusions or questions your customers have so they can be addressed on the site.
Get really clear on your process, services, and who you want to work with.
Connect with some copywriters so that you can get a sense of their process, pricing, and how far out they book. Doing so will allow you to find someone you click with, budget for the expense, and get on your desired copywriter's calendar at the right time.
Are you looking for a resource you can use right now while you are still in DIY mode? Be sure to grab your free copy of my 10-Step Website Audit for actionable tips you can use to make your copy more effective immediately.