If you’ve been searching for website copywriting services, you’ve probably noticed how broad that phrase is. It can mean anything from sales page copy and copy audits to a full-site overhaul. To make it more confusing, many copywriters include brand voice style guides and brand messaging development in their offer suites. Because copywriters can provide a range of services, it can be hard to know what you need and what you’re actually paying for. Or whether this kind of help will solve the problem you’re trying to fix.
This post breaks down what website copywriting services typically include, what they usually cost, and how to tell if they make sense for where your business is right now.
What Are Website Copywriting Services?
Let’s make sure we’re on the same page: Website copy refers to the written text on your site: headers, taglines, page body text, calls to action, product descriptions, and anything else your website visitors read to learn about your business or brand. The purpose of copy is to compel a reader to take a desired action (usually, to buy/subscribe to a product or inquire about a service. Web copywriting services focus specifically on creating or improving your website’s messaging and conversion rates.
Website Copywriting vs. Content Writing vs. Other Copywriting Services
Here’s where things get murky: Copywriter services can include everything from ad copy to email sequences to blog content. A website copywriter specializes in writing sales-focused copy that culminates with a Call-To-Action (CTA). They don’t focus on educating the site visitor with content as a blog post does. Content writing is a whole different ball game that copywriters might sell as a separate service offer.
A website copywriter specializes in writing website copy that works on the web because the web has its own rules. People don’t read websites the way they read books. They scan. They bounce. They get distracted by seventeen open tabs. Copywriting for web requires an understanding of how visitors move through a page, where their eyes go first, and what makes them stay long enough to take action.
Why Web Copywriting Services Are a Specialty
Writing web copy well demands more than good grammar—in fact, the way you learned to write in your 11th-grade English class won’t serve you well when it comes to writing for online eyeballs. Skilled website copywriters are fluent in behavioral psychology, UX best practices, conversion principles, SEO, and messaging strategy. They are also innate storytellers—you don’t buy products, you buy outcomes, and storytelling is the key to making you care enough to pay for a promise.
A web content copywriter who understands these elements can turn a confusing site into one that sells for you. That’s why web copywriting has become its own niche within the broader copywriting world.
What’s Typically Included in Professional Website Copywriting Services
When you hire a professional website copywriter, you’re not just getting words on a page. You’re getting strategic thinking about what needs to be said, how to say it, and where it should live on your site.
Web Page Copywriting (Home, About, Services, Key Landing Pages)
Most website copywriting services cover the core pages your visitors will hit first. Your homepage sets the tone. Your about page builds trust. Your services pages explain what you offer and who it’s for. A copywriter considers each page’s job within the larger site experience.
Messaging Clarity vs. “Brand Voice Exercises”
Some copywriters lead with brand voice workshops. Others, like me, prioritize messaging clarity. What’s the main thing you need visitors to understand? What’s their internal dialogue when they land on your site? Writing good website copy means getting inside your audience’s heads before you start typing.
Collaboration with Designers and Developers
Good site copywriting doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Your copywriter should be prepared to collaborate with your designer or developer, especially when it comes to page structure, visual hierarchy, and implementation. Some copywriters even offer wireframes or work directly with design partners to make the handoff seamless.
What Website Copywriting Services Usually Don’t Include
Setting expectations up front will save you time, money, and frustration down the road.
Full Brand Strategy from Scratch
Professional website copywriting services build on some level of existing brand clarity. If you don’t yet know who you’re serving, what you offer, or how you’re different, that’s brand strategy work. Some copywriters (myself included) offer this as part of the process, but it’s separate from the copywriting itself. Don’t expect a copywriter to figure out your business model and write your site copy for the same flat fee.
SEO Guarantees or Traffic Promises
A skilled copywriter will bake SEO best practices into your copy. They’ll conduct keyword research, optimize your page titles and meta descriptions, and write content to help you rank. But they can’t guarantee you’ll rank on page one of Google or triple your traffic overnight. Search results depend on hundreds of factors outside anyone’s control.
Design, Development, or Marketing Automation
Your copywriter writes. Your designer designs. Your developer builds. And your marketing strategist creates the campaigns that drive people to your shiny new site. Some copywriters can refer you to trusted design partners or help with implementation support, but copywriting alone won’t get your site launched.
Which Comes First, Copy or Design?
This is one of the most common questions I am asked. And the #1 mistake people make before coming to me. The answer isn’t a matter of preference. It’s a matter of practicality.
Copy comes first. Always.
When you design before you have copy, you end up trying to make the words fit the design. The space left for text is too short. You leave key messaging on the cutting room floor. A site that’s more about aesthetics than messaging won’t convert.
Even worse, when you realize you need to add another section or expand your copy, your designer will have to go back and redesign. They’ll charge you for it, which is fair, because no one should work for free.
Copy and design are partners in crime. Copy without design can become overwhelming. Design without copy lacks substance and doesn’t give your audience reasons to buy, subscribe, or reach out.
The sweet spot looks like this:
- Brand Strategy (not visuals)
- Brand Messaging
- Copywriting
- Brand Design (visual identity)
- Website Design
- Website Development
Click here to see the entire graphic below.
Doing things in the wrong order will cost you more in the long run. I’ve written a full post on this if you want the complete breakdown: “Which Comes First, Copy or Design?“
How Much Do Website Copywriting Services Cost?
The price range for website copywriting services is huge, and the variation isn’t random.
Why Pricing Varies So Widely
Entry-level copywriters typically charge $500- $950 per page. Mid-level copywriters typically land between $500-$1,000 per page. Expert-level copywriters can charge $1,200-$5,000+ per page.
The difference isn’t just experience. It’s what’s included in the cost: research, strategy, interviews, revisions, SEO keyword research and optimization, and the thinking that happens before any of the writing begins.
→ → → When you hire a professional website copywriter, you’re paying for more than how much time they spend typing.
Project-Based vs. Hourly vs. Audit-Style Work
Most experienced copywriters prefer project-based pricing over hourly rates. Project-based work benefits everyone. You won’t get hit with surprise charges if a project takes longer than expected. And the copywriter isn’t penalized for being efficient.
Some copywriters also offer audit-style services. This is a lighter-touch option where they review your existing copy, diagnose what’s not working, and provide recommendations or edits. It’s a great fit for DIYers who want professional eyes on their work without paying for a full rewrite.
What You’re Really Paying For (Thinking, Not Typing)
The cost of hiring a copywriter includes research, competitor analysis, audience interviews, SEO keyword audits, brand messaging development, drafting, revising, and consulting time. Writing is just one piece of the project.
How to Choose the Right Website Copywriter for Your Business
Not every copywriter is the right fit for every business. Here’s how to tell if someone is a match for yours.
Signs You’re Ready to Hire a Website Copywriter
You’re probably ready to hire a website copywriter if:
- You have paying clients or customers, but your site doesn’t reflect your level of expertise.
- You’re getting traffic, but visitors aren’t converting into leads or sales.
- You’ve got a designer lined up, but no copy to give them.
- You cringe every time someone says, “What’s your website address?”
What to Look for Beyond a Portfolio
Yes, please check out their copywriter website portfolio. Look for projects in your industry or with similar vibes to yours. But don’t stop there.
Pay attention to how they communicate during your discovery call. Do they ask smart questions about your business? Do they explain their process clearly? Do they push back on anything you say, or just agree with everything? A good copywriter is a thinking partner, not a yes-person.
Red Flags to Watch For 🚩🚩🚩
If a copywriter promises to “10x your conversions” or “write viral copy guaranteed,” run. If they skip the strategy step entirely and start with writing, that’s a problem. If they won’t give you a clear proposal, timeline, or contract, find someone else.
The goal is to find a website copywriter for hire who treats your project like a collaboration, not a transaction. (And if you’re only willing to pay bottom-dollar, expect your copywriter to treat your project like a transaction. They will need to “churn and burn” through many more clients to earn a living wage. Sad, but, facts.)
When Website Copywriting Services Are Worth It—and When They’re Not
Hiring a professional copywriter isn’t the right investment for everyone. And saying that out loud is part of being honest about what copywriting can and can’t do.
Early-Stage vs. Established Businesses
If you’re still figuring out your offers, pricing, or who you serve, you’re not ready to hire a copywriter for website support. You need to nail down your business model first. Otherwise, you’ll pay for copy that becomes outdated the moment you pivot.
If you have paying clients, a validated offer, and a business that’s working (but a website that isn’t), you’re in a good spot to bring in a copywriter.
DIY vs. Professional Support
If you genuinely enjoy writing copy for your website or need to write your own copy out of necessity, there are great copywriting templates and copywriting courses that can help you DIY effectively.
If staring at a blank page makes you want to light your laptop on fire, outsourcing this task will save you weeks (or months) of frustration. And the ROI of a well-written site can pay for itself many times over.
How to Get the Most Value If You Do Hire Help
Do your homework. The more clarity you have about your POV, your audience, your offers, and your field, the better your copywriter can serve you. Fill out their questionnaires thoroughly. Have a point of view you stand by. (Don’t drop a bunch of links to other people’s websites and articles.) Be honest about what’s working and what isn’t, early in the process, and communicate kindly. Most importantly, trust the process. Good copywriting takes time. The first draft is not the final product.
Final Thoughts
Website copywriting services aren’t magic. They won’t fix a broken business model or drive traffic on their own. (That’s where finding out if you have a marketing problem comes in.) But for businesses that already have traction and need their websites to reflect their current level of maturity? The right copywriter can make a huge difference.
If you’re at the point where your website mostly works—but the copy isn’t doing it justice—this is the kind of work I help with.
Click here to read more about my website copywriting services.
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