Why Great Website Makeovers Begin With Copywriting

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IBC

"Can you give me some feedback on my website?" a life coach asked his e-zine subscribers. "I just revised my site - -finally!"Naturally, I couldn't resist clicking over to see what he had done. I knew he was a thoughtful coach with a reputation for high integrity. His new site cried out for a re-makeover. He had paid a designer to get drop-down menus and a bit of flash. As a result, he admitted, "I have no budget to pay a copywriter." Ouch...

After skimming a few pages of the site, I asked "Who is your target market? What do you offer? How are you unique?"

He replied, "I asked for feedback. I don't have time to answer a lot of questions. And everyone tells me the site looks professional."

Okay. I can take a hint.

Sure, the site looks professional, but he admits there is a problem. So far, he's gotten nothing but compliments -- no orders and no calls.

What can we learn from my life coach?

(1) Copywriters can save you money.

Often I (and other experienced copywriters) can save clients money on web design. My life coach didn't need all those bells and whistles. In fact, some Internet marketing gurus claim they do more harm than good. He didn't understand HTML, let alone CSS. A copywriter might serve as a go-between, translating his requirements into web design language. Your web designer saves time - which translates into saving money.

(2) Copywriters help you earn money.

Reading between the lines, I discovered he could be a stand-out. He has developed an innovative 7-step process to help clients overcome obstacles and take charge of their lives, yet he didn't realize why he's unique, so his website read like five thousand other life coaching sites: vague promises of "take your life to the next level," "discover what's important to you" and "enjoy the work you love." Naturally I'm disguising the details of his story, but I really don't have to. So many sites are like this.

(3) Copywriting is collaborative.

My clients often think they can show me a few pages of a website and say, "Make it sell!" Copywriting requires energy and planning, whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or a firm believer in outsourcing to a specialist. My clients often invest many hours answering my questionnaire. As they write, they often realize there's a hole in their business strategy. Or they're sitting on buried treasure.

Until I know a client wants to do with his website and his business, I can't make realistic recommendations - even as a casual ezine reader. I need to evaluate the copy in the context of my client's own goals, target market and unique selling proposition. Anyone can could do this, but, like most busy business owners, many don't want to invest the time, and my coach wasn't sure what questions to ask.

When clients hire me, we have the luxury (and fun!) of creating a marketing message that hits the target market squarely in the center of the bull's-eye. Bottom Line: Websites deliver messages. Without a message, a website is a calling card - nice when you have more business than you can handle.

Most of the time, revising copy brings traffic and sales. Websites typically earn back the copy investment with just a few new clients, not to mention saving energy and funds by avoiding a makeover to recover the makeover. One day you realize you're not getting compliments, you're getting sales!