7 Questions to Ask Your Web Copywriter

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7 Questions to Ask Your Web Copywriter

When you decide to hire a copywriter, you want a good fit between his or her abilities and your needs. You want a copywriter who can speak to your target audience and influence them to take action.

Not all copywriters are created equal. Most copywriters have medium specialties that they enjoy, such as white papers or web copy, or maybe they love writing for specific audiences such as B2B (business to business) or coffee connoisseurs. The only way to find out what your copywriter can do is to ask.

Following are seven questions you can ask to find out what your copywriter can do for you:

1. Which type of writing is your favorite? While we all have taken on writing tasks that weren’t our favorites, if you’re looking for a long-term relationship with your writer, you want him or her to enjoy writing your materials. If your writer doesn’t like writing for your business, the copy will suffer.

Listen to the answer here and see where your copy fits. If your writer loves travel writing and you need a technical writer for industrial software, you may want to probe for more information, or move on and interview someone else.

2. Which media have you written for? Whether it’s web copy, brochures, press releases, or articles, each medium has its own challenges and best practices for effective copy. If you need a seasoned web writer and your writer has never written a web page, you might want to reconsider.

3. How familiar are you with ___? If your writer has little or no experience with your industry, you’ll need to provide some education before the first project starts. Depending on your field, this may be simple, or it may be a time-intensive undertaking.

4. How fast can you turn projects around? You want a writer who takes enough time to do a good job with your copy, but you don’t want someone who will take two months to write a brochure. You’ll need to discuss what you expect, including adhering to deadlines.

5. How do you handle rewrites? When we hand in a first draft for your review, we expect revisions and plan for them. Occasionally, even the best copywriter will miss the mark and need to rewrite copy. We include one free rewrite in our project cost, but other writers handle this issue differently. Be sure you understand what happens if you need copy redone.

6. Do you have a written contract for me to sign? A contract protects both of you and spells out the expectations for both parties. Some copywriters have a full-fledged contract, while others prefer a shorter memorandum of understanding. The main parts of the project that the contract should cover are what is to be written, how and when it is to be completed, what happens in the event of a rewrite, and when payment is due.

You should be responsible for ensuring the copy complies with the legalities of your business. You cannot expect your copywriter to know what is legal in your industry. Also, there should be some kind of indemnification clause, meaning that except in the case of plagiarism or gross negligence, the two parties hold each other harmless in the event of a lawsuit. Have your lawyer look at the contract before signing.

7. What is your expectation of payment? Often, copywriters will offer a paid-in-full discount, and it’s up to you whether you’re comfortable with that. In any case, most copywriters expect a percentage of their fee upfront—50% is usual. If your copywriter demands 100% upfront, ask why.

If your copywriter can answer most or all of these questions to your satisfaction, you’ve found a good writer. Assuming his or her writing skills are excellent, hold on tight. . . responsible, talented writers with good business sense are hard to find.

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