“Your job is not to write copy. Your job is to know your visitors, customers and prospects so well, you understand the situation they’re in right now, where they’d like to be, and exactly how your solution can and will get them to their ideal self.” — Joanna Wiebe
If you don’t know who Joanna Wiebe is, then you’re probably not a copywriter. As the founder of Copyhackers, she teaches people how to write persuasive words that educate, inspire, and make more sales.
For most of us who make our living writing websites, blog articles, sales pages, and all the other things that drive revenue, we develop processes and frameworks that guide each project from start to finish.
Can you imagine trying to put together a houseful of Ikea furniture without any instructions — and missing a few screws?
You’d probably feel disappointed and frustrated.
You’d wonder what happened to the friendly salesperson who sold you these bits and pieces of plywood and channel thoughts ranging from rage to disgust.
You might go back to the store demanding your money back because you can’t build three bookshelves, a reading chair, a couch with a pile of pressboard, and no guidance.
Now imagine yourself as a working writer with a prospective client who sends you a note asking “Can you write ten pages of web content by next Wednesday?”
The short answer is, “no.”
Not if you want it to be useful, educate your prospective customers, get found on Google, and generally, not be an embarrassment to your business.
It turns out, writing is about planning and research as much as it is about writing.
My Website Writing Process
I’ve never met a business owner who wanted a website.
They want customers.
They see the website as a way to attract those customers.
If this sounds like you and you’re a small business owner, then you’ll want to work with a professional copywriter and web designer to achieve your goals.
There’s a process to creating websites that attract prospective customers, build trust and shorten the sales cycle.
Just like the directions for that Ikea furniture help you put together your bookcase, there’s a process for developing a web writing plan for every website.
Over the years, I’ve broken it down into a strategic process:
Pre-Writing, Research, and Organization
1- Clarify the target market
2- Review writing resources (competitor’s analysis, for example)
3-Identify the typical sales cycle
4- Review SEO keywords to keep in mind (or do SEO research and develop the strategic SEO plan, this is a separate element)
5-Clarify 1–3 business goals for each page
6- Identify SME’s to interview for background and/or quotes
7- Research sources
Drafting Process
All of that preparation has stimulated my brain to think about the target customer, what they want to know, and the main points I need to make.
THEN, I’m ready to draft words on paper (or screen.)
1- First draft outline
2- Let it sit overnight or a couple of days
3- 2nd Draft/Revision — See where I need additional data to support my points
4- Review for a solid draft, format for the web, review for SEO fundamentals
5- Polish — run through Grammarly, check the readability score with a Fleisch Kincaid reader
6- Send to client
7- Incorporate client feedback
8- Final approval
9- Send to web designer/developer
10- Publish
If I’m rewriting/optimizing your website so you can increase your traffic and conversions, I analyze the keyword research and assign terms to different pages on your website in alignment with your targeted prospect. I also include meta descriptions – these are the “behind-the-scenes” code that helps your web pages get found.
I let it sit (a day or two is ideal) to revise.
Then it’s off to you, the client, for review.
Whew! It looks like a lot but really, you probably take as many steps before you start a project too.
You just don’t think about it because you’ve done it so many times. It’s the “inherent” knowledge you develop from years of practice.
Are you ready to get started with your writing project?
You can schedule a short call to discuss your needs here.
