Deb Mitchell Writing

design, well written.

Let's work together

get the skinny on how I make you stand out.

Whatever it is you need right now – website copy, blog posts, service sales pages, an opt-in freebie and email sequence – stop right here for a second and ask yourself,

“Do I just want to get this thing done and off my plate? Or do I want website copy and content marketing that moves my business forward?”

If you want the writing you’re investing in to help your business succeed long-term, you need a writer who understands the unique needs of your industry and who’ll write copy for you that resonates with your ideal clients.

And that’s exactly what I do best!

Pick your approachclick for more in-depth service descriptions
Full Service
Writer for a Day

Full Service

“THE WORKS”

FULL BRAND & WEBSITE CREATION SERVICE

Are Your Branding and Website Working Together to Help Get You More Clients?

It starts with your message.

Whether you realize it or not, your brand and website are sending a message to the world ALL. THE. TIME.

That message is never neutral. It’s either…

… random.

… pretty and stylish, but meaningless to your ideal clients.

… forgettable.

… filled with messages your ideal clients don’t actually care about.

Or it’s…

… aligned with who you are, who your ideal clients are, and where you’re headed in your business.

… well thought out and cohesive across the board.

… beautiful, bespoke and packed with messaging your ideal clients need to hear to fall in love with you.

You can probably guess that the first type of messaging makes people click away.

But the second type inspires a “Heck yes! I want what they’ve got!” feeling in them. That’s what gets you clients. 

Which is why creating messaging that aligns with your goals and resonates with your ideal clients is at the heart of all I do.

Even a beautiful logo and website won’t help you get clients if they aren’t sending the right messages to those clients in the first place. 

Your brand message is what lets you articulate what you do in a way that makes you stand out. 

But crafting that message is no easy task and there are no shortcuts to getting it right. 

Our signature processes allow us to weave one cohesive message from the many threads that make up your brand and website. 

Together, those threads tell your ideal clients exactly why you’re the perfect choice for them and why you’re worth every penny. 

It may seem magical and miraculous, but it’s all the result of our marketing backgrounds, our creative minds, and our commitment to giving you more (a lot more!) than just great style in your brand and website. 

We call this full brand and website creation service of ours “The Works.”

I created this signature service along with expert branding and website designer, Katie Saunders of Pop & Grey. We put our heads together on your project to give you visual branding, copy, and website design and functionality that are just right for you and your ideal clients.

You get a lot in this service package, but some of the highlights include a custom brand positioning statement and messaging guide; a tagline, a logo/submark with variations for flexibility; a full brand suite of colors, fonts, patterns, social media icons, and more; complete website copy; complete custom website design and development; SEO-friendly and mobile-responsive creation; custom-built WordPress backend for easy ongoing management; Google analytics integration; and blog post transfer from your old website.

But hey, we’re not sticks-in-the-mud. If you need something you don’t see here, just ask!

Commonly requested add-on options include things like shop pages and e-commerce functionality, online forms, downloadable PDFs, site search function options, product descriptions, and portfolio project summaries.

Already have top-notch branding?
Check out my copy-only website service.

Your Q’s + Our A’s

How long will my project take?

Total duration of full-service projects is typically about 3-ish months (brand creation takes 4-6 weeks, and website creation takes 6-8 weeks for a grand total of 10-14 weeks). We run a pretty tight ship around here when it comes to hitting milestone deadlines (which we will provide to you at the beginning of the project so you know what’s happening when). 

Please note that if you’re serious about providing us with direct and timely feedback (we ask for a 48-hour turnaround) at each step of the process, your project will move quickly.

How much work will this be for ME?

Don’t worry, we’ll be doing the heavy lifting around here. But please be aware that there is some upfront work on your part to fill out your branding workbook as completely as possible.

We will also require you to take part in a few calls throughout the process. We respect your time and will schedule those upfront so that we can all reserve time for them in our busy schedules.

The more details we have from you in a complete workbook and open, honest communication on calls, the better. We are branding experts, but YOU are the expert on your own business, so we can’t do this alone.

How exactly does this work?

First, shoot us a note through our contact form, and we’ll respond back right away with a link to schedule a call with both Deb and Katie so that we can get to know you and exactly what you need.

After we chat, we’ll send you a proposal for your project with any add-ons that you may need. When you’re ready to go, you’ll sign the contract, pay a 25% deposit and receive your brand workbook to start digging into that right away.  We’ll schedule your kickoff strategy session based on our current project schedule (your workbook, along with a Pinterest board, will be due beforehand or we’ll need to reschedule the kickoff call and reset your project timeline).

After our strategy session, we are off to the races working on your visual brand and messaging!  Within 3 weeks of your strategy session, we’ll have another call to present those to you and talk through all feedback.

Once we have your feedback we’ll work on any needed refinements and prep the final files for you.

In the meantime, we’ll begin digging into your website strategy and design, starting with another call with you to talk through your needs and how best to accomplish them. Once we have the information we need from you, we’ll begin the writing and design process simultaneously. While we’re working on that, you’ll have some homework of gathering any needed content (such as product spreadsheets) or images based on our plan for your site.

2 weeks later we will present you with your full website design and copy, which involves another call with you to get your feedback. Then we’ll work on refinements and getting everything prepped and ready to send onto development.  

Website development (which involves adding all of your content and creating all the tech behind your site) typically takes about 4 weeks.  Once it’s complete, we will send you a live website proof to review, and you’ll provide us with any needed feedback so we can get it finalized and launched out into the world.

Then we’ll all pop some champagne and celebrate!

What if I need more than a brand and website?

Well, then you’re in the right place! We build our packages based on the needs of our customers and we don’t include any excess fluff that you might not need. Brands aren’t cookie-cutter, so we prefer to add on any items above and beyond your brand and website at your request, on an a la carte basis. That can be done at the beginning of your project or at any time after it begins.

We offer any copywriting or design services you need to reach your audience, including but not limited to ghost blogging, social media writing/design, business card design, notecard design, packaging design or any other collateral materials you can imagine. If you have ongoing needs, we also offer retainer packages for clients who have gone through our brand creation process.

Praise for “The Works” Full Brand & Website Creation Service

 

I can vouch for the experience with Katie and Deb, and it was top notch! They guided me through the branding journey with an abundance of expertise, encouragement, insight, and creativity. 

The entire process was so well organized and it helped me think about my clients, my process and my goals. Deb was patient and insightful with the copywriting process, and Katie came up with some very creative and unique touches like hand-drawn icons for my blog. 

They asked great questions to extract the right information, and created a website and brand package that are aligned with my business and where I want it to go over the next 5 years, that give an elevated perception of my business, and that clarify the services we offer and what sets us apart. 

You will be in excellent hands working with Katie and Deb. They make an amazing team!” 

Ellen Nystrom, Nystrom Design 

 

When I first approached Katie and Deb, I was just looking to update my logo and website. But what I walked away with went far beyond the physical logo and website. What they gave me was a brand and website that create a feeling about our company.

I didn’t initially think I needed a tagline, but I now know that what they came up with (along with the entire new brand) will have a MASSIVE impact on my business. It clearly sets us apart and it even created a position for our blog. 

I was amazed that the simple (although not easy!) effort of digging into the mindset of our ideal clients and what differentiates us to them brought a level of depth to what Deb and Katie delivered that wouldn’t have been achieved by basing a logo design on colors and styles I liked. Diving into their expert insights and assessing how our clients view us was really powerful. 

The entire process was both methodical and creative. My website was a beast of a project and Katie and Deb didn’t skip a beat. It’s clear they work really well together and that they communicated about my project “behind the scenes.”

I am in love with and proud of my new brand and website. I highly recommend Katie and Deb!”

Janelle Photopoulos, Blakely Interior Design

More About “The Works”

Your project consists of 6 parts, some of which happen simultaneously:

  1. Information Gathering & Brand Brief Development 
  2. Logo and Tagline Creation
  3. Full Brand Design 
  4. Website Page Layout & Design and Copy Creation
  5. Web Development
  6. Site Launch

Your project includes:

  • 1-hr brand strategy session with Katie and Deb to kick off your project and to begin to translate the information we gather from you into a clear-cut strategy for your brand design and messaging, and get to know the intricacies of your business so we can put its best foot forward.
  • A custom brand positioning and messaging guide that includes:
    • Your brand positioning statement
    • Your brand values, ideal audience, sweet spot, brand voice and brand experience
    • A brand “word bank” with vocabulary that covers both the work you do for your clients and/or the deliverables you provide and the service experience you deliver to your clients. This is one area where we really define what differentiates you from the competition.
    • An ideal client analysis to find the sweet spot overlap between your brand values and what your client wants and what’s truly important to them in their home and in working with a designer.
    • An SEO keyword strategy
    • A “Brand Manifesto” that lays out your ideas and beliefs around the work you do. It’s another area that pinpoints your differentiators, plus it’s a HUGE resource for informing topics and ideas for content marketing and social media strategy in keeping with your new branding and website!
    • A write-up and curated mood board to represent the proposed visual direction to encompass all that your brand has to say
    • tagline development
    • primary logo design
    • secondary logo/submark design and logo variations for flexibility and cohesion
    • corresponding pattern and/or texture designs
    • custom social media icons
    • Facebook cover/profile design and 2 Instagram editable templates (your choice of Canva or Illustrator)
    • custom Pantone, CMYK, RGB and Hexadecimal color palette
    • typography selections
    • full brand board and style guide for future guidance
    • 1-hour website planning strategy session
    • Complete website copy
    • completely custom design of all site pages based on your strategic brand design
    • up to 5 custom page designs and up to 10 pages based on those designs
    • fully responsive mobile design
    • SEO-friendly creation
    • expertly developed, custom-built WordPress backend for easy ongoing DIY management (while I recommend WordPress, other platforms are available upon request
    • live test site during development and seamless migration to your server at launch
    • Google analytics integration
    • contact form(s)
    • blog post transfer from old website
    • initial SEO-friendly content import
    • seamless integration with your email marketing software
    • screenshare tutorial and website documentation guide so that you can confidently manage and update your website

TIMELINE 10-14 WEEKS

 

COPY-ONLY WEBSITE SERVICE

Already have the help you need for new branding, website design and development but need fresh copy?
My Copy Only Website Service is for you!

You’ll get:

  • In depth strategy call with me before the writing begins to determine things like voice, brand vocabulary, and your ideal clients’ values
  • Fully custom written copy for all pages on your site
  • A Brand Messaging Analysis + Style Guide report for you to refer to on your own for future brand communications

Most projects take between 4-6 weeks.

let’s chat about your project!

Writer for a Day

WRITER FOR A DAY SERVICE

Six hours to done? Heck yes!

How much could get accomplished for your business if you could hire a professional writer for just one day?

A lot, that’s what!

While not every project can be finished within one 6-hour timeframe, there are many circumstances in which one day is all I need to write your…

Website copy

Email opt-in freebie

Launch email funnel

Nurture email sequence

Client welcome packet

Newsletters

Blog posts

…and just about anything you need to be brainstormed, strategized, and written for your business.

Here’s how it works.

Our day starts with a call to kick off your project and to begin to translate the information you will have already sent me in a pre-project questionnaire into finding the best strategy for your messaging and copy. We’ll talk through the following:

  • Your brand positioning
  • Your brand values, ideal audience, sweet spot, brand voice and brand experience
  • Vocabulary that covers both the work you do for your clients and/or the deliverables you provide plus the service experience you deliver to your clients. This is one area where we can really define what differentiates you from your competition
  • Deconstructing who your ideal client is to find the sweet spot overlap between your brand values and what your client wants and what’s truly important to them in their homes and in working with a designer
  • Your ideas and beliefs around the work you do, again to pinpoint your differentiators and to further inform your messaging

 

From there, I’ll work on my own to draft your webcopy (usually for home, about, and services pages unless we determine you need something different) based on all of the above pre-writing work.

Here’s what else you need to know about the “WFAD” service.

  • I work hard to “diagnose” whether the WFAD is a great solution for you and for your project’s scope. If it’s not ideal for any reason, I’ll say so because you and I both want your project to be a success!
  • I reserve a few days on my calendar each month for WFADs. These get booked up FAST but I try hard to accommodate as many clients as possible by opening up additional dates, depending on my project load.
  • When you book a WFAD, you’ll need to be readily available during those 6 hours to promptly review the drafts and to quickly offer specific feedback so I can revise and refine the copy with your input within the confines of our time. 
  • At the end of our time, I’ll send you “clean copy” (meaning not marked up with edits, but copy with any revisions applied) for each webpage. How much we get done in terms of copy that’s 100% ready for placement on your site depends in large part on whether you offer prompt feedback all day and whether you’re decisive and specific about desired changes.
  • I’ll give you the straight truth upfront – before you buy – if I think there’s a real possibility we may not be able to get everything done within the 6 hours allotted.
  • In the event that we do need to add more time, you can add on individual hours (booked separately for another day).
  • This service isn’t meant to be a “budget option.” Rather, it’s meant to be a way for me to offer the value of my work within a more condensed timeframe than with my full-service offerings. It costs less than full-service because it takes less of my time – not because I provide less of my expertise.

 

Writer for a Day

6 hour session

$1200

You'll be surprised how much we can accomplish for your writing project in just 1 day!

let’s chat about your project!