If you’re reading this, it means you know your website needs some work. 👀
Maybe you’ve stumbled across my website, or maybe you’ve broken a sweat trying to make ChatGPT sound more… human? Or maybe you’ve started sweating when your web designer asked you “so where’s your copy?” and now you realize you need some words to fill your gorgeous new site.
No matter how you’ve ended up here, you’re definitely wondering: What kind of investment is website copywriting this and what’s going to be the ROI?
If you’ve looked at my services and prices, you might be wondering if this is normal? Should you be paying just as much or more for website copy as you do for design?
As a website copywriter, I’ve worked in this space for a while. Here’s my honest, nuanced, no-BS insight on the ROI of website copy so you can make the decisions that’s best for you.
Why does website copywriting cost what it does?
Some people get sticker shock when they see the four-figure price tags attached to the website copywriting packages they’re looking at. Like them, you might be wondering, “why is website copywriting so expensive?”
Website copywriting isn’t actually expensive. It’s appropriately priced for the level of skill, expertise, and work that goes into creating quality website copy.
So if you’re seeing prices ranging between $3,000-$10,000 for full website copywriting, you’re seeing a pretty typical range for writing 5-7 pages of website copy.
If this is your first time hiring a copywriter, that might seem like a big expense, but it’s actually completely normal for businesses to spend that much on their website copy (or more.)
**Think of it like this: if someone offered to build you a brand new, 3-bedroom house, but they were only going to spend $2000 on your house, you’d be like “ok, what’s going to be wrong with this house then??”
The same goes for website copy. If you’re not spending around mid-four figures for your website copy, you’re probably getting a sketchy deal.
What impacts the results you get from your website copy?
First off, if you see a copywriter guaranteeing a numerical value of sales or increased conversions for website copy, I would raise a couple eyebrows at that…
The reason? Your website can drive a lot of money for your business, but there are also dozens (if not hundreds) of variables that can impact what kind of results you see.
(In fact, if SEO is part of your marketing strategy with your website, Google looks at 200 different characteristics when considering how to rank your website. On-page copy is only one of those characteristics.)
So what are some of the variables that will affect the ROI you have on website copy?
- Your website’s design
- Your organic traffic
- Your offers and how aligned they are with your audience
- Your ongoing SEO practices
- Your industry norms and standards
As a copywriter, I have no control over whether you choose a crappy Wix template for your site or not. I can’t control if you input the copy incorrectly or ignore your regular website updates (like blogging.)
So, if the copywriter you’re looking at is giving a guarantee on the ROI you’ll have from the copy they’re writing for you, that’s a little sketch.
What I can say is this: if you know your offers, your audience, and know you’re the real deal at what you do, getting expert-written website copy can be a crucial piece of your marketing that will result in the big bucks for your business.
What’s the ROI of website copy?
Ok, as we established, case studies should come with disclaimers and guarantees are sketchy, but let’s walk through a hypothetical of the ROI of website copy:
Let’s say you’re a service provider whose average package costs $5000.
Coincidently, you spend $5000 on copy for your website.
Throughout the year, you have space for 25 projects at your normal rate.
Every one of your inquires that end sign with you go through your website, which results in $125,000 worth of sales.
That’s an ROI of 2,400% 🤯
Heck, even if you only book 10 projects that year, it’s still an ROI of 900%
Now, I know that your inquiries are probably not starting from zero, since the people who are hiring website copywriters are usually established businesses.
But expert website copywriting can help grease the wheels of your inquiries by…
- Reducing the back and forth in DMs or email
- Getting people EXCITED and CONFIDENT about working with you
- Getting them to inquire faster
- Reducing their objections about hiring you
- Justifying your prices before you even get on a call
- Getting them ready to say “yes” before they even get on a call
And that’s just with inquiries for your packages. Professional website copy can also…
- Open more PR and partnership opportunities
- Get you accepting in publications
- Get you seen by more people through SEO
- Better user-experience for visitors
- Strengthened brand presence and consistency
- Clarify your message in a world of short attention spans
- An edge over your competition due to research and competitor analysis
All of these things will create more buzz around your business, and those ripples will likely last for years.
So while it’s hard to nail down the exact ROI of website copy, the impact speaks for itself.
(Plus, even if you’re able to snag one of your competitors clients, isn’t that worth it?)
Do I need to hire a website copywriter if I’ve already hired a web designer?
A pretty design is nice, but it’s the words on the page that will convince people to buy from you.
Even your web designer knows this. Ask them. 👀
Unfortunately, many people go to a designer first, only to realize that they don’t include copy within their package, or that the web designer is asking them to write the copy.
As we’ve talked about: website copywriting is a specialized skill. It’s not fair to assume your designer has also mastered this skill, when they’ve already work so hard to become a good designer.
I know it’s fun to go for the visuals first (Lord knows I loooove a good aesthetic) but every single website designer I’ve talked to prefers it when their clients hire a copywriter first. It makes their job so much easier.
If I hire a website copywriter, do I need to hire a designer too?
It depends.
Obviously, a custom web design to match your custom DFY website copy is the ideal scenario for everyone. However, if you know you can only invest the big bucks in one of these elements, here are the other options you have:
- DIY Website Builders: Squarespace and Showit have a reputation for being user-friendly ways to build your own website, with drag-and-drop design capabilities. These platform have free templates you can start with.
- Website Templates: Many designers have templates you can purchase that you can customize yourself. These templates usually range between $100-$1,000.
- Semi-Custom Website Design or VIP Days: Some designers will offer semi-custom designs for clients that aren’t ready to do full custom design. Typically, they’ll have you start with one of their templates, which they’ll customize for you within a single day. These options can range from $1,000-$3,000
- Full Custom Website Design: And of course, if you want to go the full custom design route (my favorite, obviously) you can book your favorite designer for between $3,000-$10,000.
No matter which option you choose, I would still argue the words are the most important part of making your website sell for you. So, obviously I’m biased, but prioritizing your copywriting investment means you’re going to get the highest ROI from your website.
What if $5000 for website copy is out of my budget?
First, my full website copywriting package starts at $4500, so you’re in luck there 😉
Second, I do offer copy editing work through my VIP Days.
During my Copywriting VIP Days, we typically have time for editing 3 pages of your pre-written copy. So if you’ve tried to DIY your copy, but it’s still not where you want it to be, we can make some serious progress on your website copy with a full day of editing.
And if that’s not an option for you, you can book one of my Website Roasts, where I can give you a full audit of your website copy with actionable advice on improving it.
And if your budget is literally 0? I’ve gotchu there too. Be sure you take my free homepage writing course, and read my copy blog for tips on copywriting for every aspect of your business.
Lastly, we gotta talk about this elephant in the room…
Is AI an alternative to hiring a website copywriter?
I’m not and AI hater. I use it in my life all the time.
However, AI is really good at spitting out a lot of copy. It’s not good at telling you how to use that copy in a way that will resonate with your readers and convince them to buy from you.
As you know, AI needs some serious editing. It’s not good at sounding human (let alone, sounding like you.)
The real benefit of hiring a website copywriter is understanding how every element of your website works together to generate more sales for your business.
AI simply is not capable of doing that (yet.)
So if you want to generate some AI copy and then book a VIP Day or Copy Audit, that’s probably the best way to go if you want to use AI to reduce costs in your website project.
TL;DR – if you want to generate more sales through your website, your copy is going to do most of the heavy lifting. It’s almost always a safe investment for business once they reach a certain level.
Plus, website copywriting isn’t something you have to redo every year. If you spend a couple thousand on website copy now, you’ll be reaping the benefits for years to come.
Still not sure? Read this post about when to know if it’s time to hire a copywriter for your small business.
Any questions? Shoot me a message over on Instagram.
