It’s a more important question to ask than you might think.
Maybe you, like a lot of business owners, think it’s only natural to hire a designer first. That way, you’ll have your website all mapped out so you’ll know what copy you need when you go to a copywriter – right?
Not so much.
As a copywriter for interior designers, all-too-often I find myself having to give my website copy clients the bad news:
The site they had a web designer meticulously create for them needs changes. Lots of changes.
While it’s not the end of the world (at worst the web designer might charge you some steep change fees) it usually means a cranky web designer who would love to bop me over the head for creating all of their rework and a cranky you for not being as close to the finish line as you’d thought..
All of that unpleasantness is easily avoided, though, IF you follow my advice:
Have a copywriter write all your website copy before you even discuss your site with a website designer.
In fact, designers almost always prefer to build a site around actual copy. Not having it all done and at the ready can stall your project. Your designer may even need to move you to the back of her project queue so as not to delay her other clients, as well.
Actually, the truly perfect scenario is hiring both your designer and your writer at once and having them work together on crafting your site. I’ve forged great relationships with a handful of amazing web designers and developers for exactly that purpose and the results are always outstanding.
It’s like when you have an interior design client who brings you in to weigh in on their house plans only after the architect has drawn them up.
Painful, right?! If they’d only hired you first, you wouldn’t be stuck having to choose between trying to shoehorn your ideas into the existing plan or recommending costly changes.
Just like you, I’m looking to help my clients achieve the best possible end results. That means I need to be able to weigh in on choices like page layouts and where copy is and isn’t needed.
Maybe we need to visually map out your process so your prospects get the picture. Maybe we need to clean up your portfolio or add a press page. Whatever it is, there’s almost always something that – because I know the interior design industry so well – I’ll think of that your web designer won’t.
The bottom line is, you and everyone else involved will be so much happier (and your website will be done quicker and better) if you work with a copywriter first.
Gearing up to get a new website? Let’s chat!
All the best,
