You have decided to turn over the reins of your website to a developer who knows how to design and code a site that will help you compete in the online marketplace. Fantastic!
But, as a lawyer, you have spent your whole education and career writing. You figure you can write your own legal website content. Right? Wrong. Here are three simple reasons why you should hire a professional copywriter to craft compelling content for your website.
Reason #1: Web-Based Writing Is Not the Same as Legal Writing.
Writing content for the Internet is not the same as writing a legal brief or demand letter. They are similar, however, in that they each have technical aspects that you must follow to get it right. But you did not go to school to write for search engines. Nor did you likely take many marketing courses, if any, as you prepared for legal practice.
Hiring a professional website writer can help bridge the gap between you and your audience that exist on the Web. Such a writer understands search engine optimization (SEO), so writing for search bots comes naturally. That same writer also knows how to break through legal jargon to communicate your services clearly to a prospective client.
Reason #2: Your Content Will Be Done On-Time.
If you are like most attorneys, your law firm marketing efforts often fall last on your to-do list. You may have the best of intentions, promising your web developer that you will deliver content for your site by a certain date so you can hit that “go live” date you are so anxious for. And then your due date comes and goes. And you get wrapped up in casework and trial dates. And all of a sudden, your “go live” date gets pushed out further and further, and you find yourself paying for hosting services for a site that is still under development.
By hiring a writer, you avoid the stress that comes with having the task hanging over your head. Your full website project stays on track, as your writer will deliver copy to you on time and help keep you on task for delivering edits and approving copy. From there, your writer can work with your developer to make the content development process move as smoothly as possible. That way, your site goes live when you want it to, and you get the most bang for your hosting services buck.
Reason #3: You Have Better Things to Do With Your Time.
Tied directly in with reason two is the fact that your time is precious. What you do with it matters. You need to focus on tasks that help your clients and bring you fulfillment, not to mention earning income to support you and your family.
Writing content for your website takes time if you do it right. The average website marketing writer spends at least one hour per page of copy, and that is coming from someone who does this on a daily basis. A basic five-page website could take you 10-12 hours to write. Just think of what you can accomplish, work, personal or otherwise, with that time.
What Are You Waiting For?
Whether you just starting out on a new website project or you are in the middle of one that you thought you could or should handle on your own, there is no better time than now to hire a professional writer to help. Let the professional writer focus on what she does best so you can focus on what you do best: providing legal services to those who need them.