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Offline Content Question

by hbteos234
8 replies
For those who offer offline web design and creation services where do you get your content from?

If you're writing a blog then its easy to outsource article writing that would produce content for a website. However, if you're creating, say, a website for a local dentist. Where do you get the content for the site from? Do you ask the customer to provide it, or do you write it yourself, or outsource it, or PLR???

Wondering what options there are for getting offline web creation content
#content #offline #question
  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    You will need a copywriter.

    Not an article writer. Different thing.

    We have a Copywriting subforum here on WF. There's a directory of writers and their specializations.

    Web designers =/= copywriters.
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  • Profile picture of the author hbteos234
    Thanks.

    Do you need a copywriter for ALL pages of a typical offline site? For example, if you're creating a 10 page site for say a dentist. Would you normally get a copywritter to create the 10 pages? or just a landing page?

    Are there other options for offline web content
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  • Profile picture of the author desmond11
    I basically look at the biggest dog in the marketplace and then base my content from their site. No point in reinventing the wheel here. Just use their headings and write your own content from there.

    BTW don't waste time waiting for the client to add content, otherwise you'll be waiting forever. I've got 5 outstanding at the moment stretching back 8 weeks. I offered to do it for them but they wanted to do it themselves.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    The problem with basing your content off others is this:

    NO ORIGINALITY.

    You don't stand out.

    "Great testimonials"..."Best-In-Class"..."World-Class Service"...blah blah blah.

    People have heard all these braying noises before, and they mean nothing.

    Of course your Contact Us page doesn't have to be copywritten (but imagine the difference if it was, though...let's take a mundane thing like that and turn it into something surprising!).

    What do you want your website to do?

    Be a billboard?

    Or a machine that converts visitors into highly qualified prospects who call or email you?
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    • Profile picture of the author desmond11
      Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

      The problem with basing your content off others is this:

      NO ORIGINALITY.

      You don't stand out.

      "Great testimonials"..."Best-In-Class"..."World-Class Service"...blah blah blah.

      People have heard all these braying noises before, and they mean nothing.

      Of course your Contact Us page doesn't have to be copywritten (but imagine the difference if it was, though...let's take a mundane thing like that and turn it into something surprising!).

      What do you want your website to do?

      Be a billboard?

      Or a machine that converts visitors into highly qualified prospects who call or email you?
      I respect your view Jason and being a copywriter I can definitely see where you're coming from . However, I reckon most guys on here are gonna be starting as 1 man bands and therefore can't afford to get a copywriter to write the content for their clients (may be the wrong assumption).

      I suppose I'm used to taking a few short cuts and using the headings from the biggest players in the market allows you to get content written quickly without knowing a hell of a lot about that specific niche. Is it original? Not really, but it allows you complete the project and get paid without spending endless weeks researching content to put on their pages.

      Regarding testimonials, I still encourage clients to get video testimonials wherever possible (even if it's recorded on an iphone) of happy clients happy with their service. This hands down wipes out the competition that can't be bothered to go the extra mile!
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      • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
        Well the question you bring up is, "Who should pay for it?"

        The client!

        You don't need to charge a management fee or upcharge or anything; just connect them with the writer and let them come to their own agreement. What you must do, though, is give deadlines or the project will stall.

        If I'm renovating a kitchen, and I have a metal shop plasma cut a custom stainless steel backsplash, I'll introduce the customer to the shop and step back. The deal for the backsplash is between the customer and the shop; if there's a screw-up, I'm not in the middle of it. I didn't make any money off of it. And I give my deadline of when I need the backsplash installed.

        Originally Posted by desmond11 View Post

        I respect your view Jason and being a copywriter I can definitely see where you're coming from . However, I reckon most guys on here are gonna be starting as 1 man bands and therefore can't afford to get a copywriter to write the content for their clients (may be the wrong assumption).

        I suppose I'm used to taking a few short cuts and using the headings from the biggest players in the market allows you to get content written quickly without knowing a hell of a lot about that specific niche. Is it original? Not really, but it allows you complete the project and get paid without spending endless weeks researching content to put on their pages.

        Regarding testimonials, I still encourage clients to get video testimonials wherever possible (even if it's recorded on an iphone) of happy clients happy with their service. This hands down wipes out the competition that can't be bothered to go the extra mile!
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        • Profile picture of the author DABK
          I'm with Jason on this one.

          Sites with copy convert better, therefore, your status and paycheck go up. So, when they hire you to build the website, ask about who provides the content. If they say you, add that to the price you quote them.

          Find a couple of copy writers, understand how much they want, and just add that, and whatever you think you deserve for dealing with them, to whatever it costs you to do the site and your profit.
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  • Profile picture of the author Frank Schwarz
    The client should pay for it all no matter what. You find the talent to accomplish the goal, but the client pays you. You are the face of the company.
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    Frank "at" SchwarzMediaGroup.com

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