As websites and electronic commerce are becoming more and more common, business owners and marketing managers are realizing that quality web copy is every bit as important as impressive design. And with the ever-increasing importance of search engine presence, the role of web copy has never been more critical.

But in such a relatively new field, customers are still coming to grips with what they can expect of their website copywriter. The question a lot of people are asking is, How do I know I’ll get what I pay for?

Before engaging a website copywriter for your next project, ask them whether they’re able to provide you with the following ten essentials

1) Fixed Quote

A lot of website copywriters will tell you they only work on an hourly rate. They’ll cite varying requirements, rapidly changing technologies, greater incentive, the risk of customer indecision, and a host of other reasons why they can’t provide a fixed quote. But don’t be fooled. You have a right to know what the job is going to cost you. If a website copywriter won’t give you a fixed quote, think twice

2) Contract of Works to be Completed

Just as important as a fixed quote is a signed contract. It may not be drawn up by a lawyer, but a written and a signed document outlining the works to be carried out, and the cost of those works is essential. If a website copywriter is reluctant to provide a written, itemized quote including an estimated number of words, you have to ask yourself why.

3) Timeframe

Always ask how long your job is going to take. If youíve already had a go at writing your own web copy, you’ll know how time-consuming it is. Never make the mistake of thinking the job will be done in a day. Granted, a professional website copywriter will be very efficient in crafting your copy, but no matter who the writer, a quality product requires time. And on top of writing time, remember that youíll have to review and provide feedback on everything they write. In a lot of cases, itís the review phase that takes the most time, so make sure you try to set some time aside, otherwise youíll find yourself the bottleneck!

4) Plan of Attack

Try to get some ideas from your website copywriter about how they plan to approach your project. Donít be fooled into believing you have to hand over the dollars before they’ll reveal their plan of attack. You have a right to be comfortable with their approach before you engage their services. Will you receive individual drafts of every page or a single draft of the entire site? What format will you receive the finished product in? How many review iterations do they anticipate?

5) Samples

A lot of ambitious web service providers of all types are calling themselves writers these days. They offer copywriting as a specialist service, but donít engage a specialist to complete the work. Always ask to see samples of their previous copy. Read it thoroughly and ask yourself, Does this copy convey benefits?  Pretend youíre the intended audience and ask ìDoes this copy answer the questions I need to be answered before I buy?

6) CV

Most of the copywriter’s websites will give you a very high-level overview of their business and the services they offer. Some even offer samples. But very few offer a professional biography of their writers. If you’re not happy relying on their website as your sole source of information, ask for a copy of their CV. The things you’re looking for are a professional history in writing, and preferably some tertiary education in the same.

7) Testimonials

Perhaps the best indication of a website copywriter’s ability is customer satisfaction. Don’t be afraid of asking for customer testimonials. A good website copywriter will be proud of their testimonials so proud, in fact, that they’ll be offering them without you even asking. Look for testimonials from companies you recognize and/or can verify. Anyone can get their great-aunt to write them a testimonial. Some will even write their own. If you really want to be sure, ask for contact details so you can give the customer a call and hear it straight from the horseís mouth.

8) SEO Copy Skills

Approximately 80% of all web traffic comes through search engines, so it’s essential that your website copywriter has proven experience in SEO copy. Ask them their general approach to SEO copy. Do they normally perform the keyword analysis themselves? How do they know when they’ve used enough keywords in enough of the right places? Can they show you a high ranking site they’ve written the copy for? What steps do they take to avoid diluting the effectiveness of your primary keyword phrases? Will their SEO copy change the text links on your pages? (It should!)

9) SEO Copy at No Extra Charge!

Never be fooled into paying more for SEO copy. If you’ve already performed your keyword analysis, and you know where you want your keyword phrases used, writing of the copy should take no longer than usual. I’ll say it again SEO copy is not an extra it’s how web copy should be written! Do not pay extra for it! The only things you should expect to pay extra for are keyword analyses, adding the HTML code for unmarked text links, providing guidance on-site structure, sourcing of inbound links to your site, etc. SEO copy by itself should cost no extra.

10) Writing Experience for Online Media

Writing for an online medium is entirely different from writing for print. Readers have different requirements and objectives, and reading conditions are very different. Make sure your website copywriter knows how to cater to these differences. Ask them to recommend a maximum page length or word count per page. The correct answer should include some comments on the trade-off between the problems of scrolling and the need for a high keyword count for SEO. Ask them whether they prefer long sentences or short (and hope to hear short). Ask them whether they will include lots of text links within the main body of the copy, and if so, will they appear as regular links (colored and underlined), or will they be unmarked.

A professionally written copy can mean the difference between a great looking site and a great looking site THAT EARNS YOU MONEY.

Choose your website copywriter carefully.

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Big birthday this week. Sheesh, eighty-eight. What’s it like when gravity and your butt are at war and a patch over your right eye is a pending fashion statement?

Have you ever owned an old car? Take care of it and it keeps on going, even as it gradually loses its luster and its get-up-and-go. Get lazy and forego the regular maintenance, however, and the timetable for the junk yard speeds up exponentially.

Not a particularly original analogy, but it fits.

So let’s assess. I take a lot of walks and a lot of Tylenol. I can get up from a chair without falling, climb stairs without tripping, and bend over without getting dizzy. Most of the time. For the occasional lapse when the gyroscope in my brain fails, precaution is in place with a handrail alongside the stairs and a safety bar on the tub.

Similar ‘still-can-do-but-not-like-I-used-to’ applies to catching a ball, sex, jogging, drinking Dewar’s with soda, dancing, partying in general, stowing luggage in the overhead, body surfing, pulling a wagon, riding a bike, running for the Metro train, eating spicy foods and you get the drift.

But ‘still-do-and-better-than-ever’ shares equal time! Being an elder has its own joys. All that is required is continued enthusiasm for life and engaging each and every day with gratitude: for being healthy; for a loving spouse and family; for simply being alive, conscious of the miracle!

I think of my Thursday posts as ‘dispatches from the front.’ In the battle against aging I’m a soldier on patrol, ahead of the troops, sending information to the army behind me as to what to expect as they advance against the enemy. Here are some of my communiques, reports of my combat with time as the candles on the cake became a strobe light!

Prepare for a fierce battle with recrimination about the past. It will take some discipline but when you finally leave behind the lingering feelings of shame and regret over mistakes made decades ago, you’ll feel so much lighter. You’ll come to recognize that Self-love is about accepting and forgiving, not being perfect. You’ll be free to be who you are, living life in the present moment (there is no other moment!)

The terrain ahead can be rocky without a moral compass. Integrity is an indispensable quality for creating trust and if you want love in your life, being trustworthy is elemental.

In the march against time, recognize the folly of trying to “fix” someone else’s life, even the ones you love dearly. Your life will become unmanageable if you think you have that power. You don’t, period. For your own sanity and sense of self-worth, recognize that how others behave is not a reflection on you. You’ll dance like a puppet on a string if you rely on applause from others to provide your validation.

Perhaps my most important message from navigating in advance the future you will face… learn to be less controlling and quash the ego to manageable size. Some unexpected pleasure awaits when you no longer rush to judgement about people or events. Let me add to that; believe you are worthy of being loved.

So here I am (apologizing for combining metaphors), a well-cared for 1932 Ford Sedan on the road to the unknown and the Point Man for the inevitable, first to face what awaits as we advance to frailty.

I’ll keep writing about my experiences. I won’t leave out the days when I’m fearful of change, with paranoid fantasies about danger ahead. But I’m optimistic my posts will describe how the adventures ahead enliven me, inspire me and give me the insight to model what a purposeful, meaningful elderhood can be.

Tootsie is a fun, sweet and lovable seven-year-old, 56-pound, tan and white female terrier-mix looking for a loving guardian.

Tootsie rolls over for belly rubs and has a delightful personality. Her tail is always happily wagging.

Tootsie knows the command “sit” and takes treats gently from your fingers.

She is currently being kenneled in Union, Illinois, where she is great with all the other dogs, but not cats!

Tootsie is also wonderful with people of all ages. She is very sweet, snugly and loving. She prefers cuddling to playing ball and doesn’t seem to have an interest in playing fetch.

Tootsie was found stray in Schaumburg, Illinois, and her teeth are all ground down. Perhaps she was chewing on a chain or rocks? So she recently had all the nubs removed so she only has a couple of teeth left.

I first photographed Tootsie in June of 2017 and she has been kenneled ever since.

She is crate-trained and appears to be housebroken. Isn’t it time she found the home of her dreams?

To meet and possibly adopt Tootsie, please contact Melia at [email protected] for an adoption application.

Her adoption fee of $200 benefits the rescued dogs of Lucky Dog Rescue. She is healthy, spayed, up-to-date on vaccines, micro-chipped and heartworm-tested negative.