You didn’t become a website designer to…
Write copy.
Analyze word choice.
Get words out of your client’s mouths.
Wait on copy.
No. You became a website designer to bring an idea to life and generate a platform for businesses to grow.
After talking to dozens of website designers and developers across the United States, we’ve learned they all struggle with one thing. And that one thing can tank a project’s success or delay project timelines.
So before we reveal the big struggle, what are the top problems website designers face?
Top Problems Website Designers Experience In Their Business
There are many moving parts when it comes to website design: the branding, the copy, the design, the development, and the client themselves. But there are top problems website designers experience that rise to the top.
Lack of Client Vision
“I want a website.” But what do you want the website to do?
One of the most frustrating things website designers experience is when their clients lack clarity. They don’t know what they want their website to do, how they want their prospects to navigate through, or what this website can do for their business.
When clients lack vision, expectations often go unmet. That usually ends in leaving a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. And you definitely don’t want that!
Prolonged Timelines
You might layout a perfect timeline for your clients with ample feedback windows; however, the timeline extends for several weeks (or even months) in reality.
For example, one website designer in our network shared how they had one client whose project timeline was 3 months (a pretty standard timeline). However, two big issues extended the timeline up to 9 months – 3 times the original estimate. What happened? They let their clients write the copy themselves (even though they weren’t copywriters or experienced in writing website copy), and they were relaxed with their feedback windows.
Unspoken Expectations
Expectations. The e-word. When there is no clear communication based on either party’s expectations for the project or relationship, it’s bound to end up in disaster. Unmet expectations usually end in a frayed relationship and poor feedback.
If you’ve already passed the kick-off meeting and suspect that there are unspoken expectations, schedule a call with your client to understand what success looks like for them. Then you can either readjust to meet those expectations or share how you are already working towards those expectations.
The Website Copy
We wouldn’t be writing this article if the website copy wasn’t the biggest problem website designers experience in their business. After meeting with dozens of designers across the United States, we’ve learned that there are two models:
- The designer relies on their clients to provide the copy. There is no contractual agreement for the client to hire a copywriter. Usually, they write the copy themselves. It isn’t optimized for search engines and is typically way longer than needed.
- The designer writes the copy themselves (and they usually hate themselves for doing that). It creates an unnecessary bottleneck in the business because copywriting isn’t your first or even second favorite part of the job.
Instead of relying on your clients to write their copy or writing the copy yourselves, let’s connect how we can build directly into your process to create copy that reflects your client’s brand voice and resonates with their target audience.
Schedule a discovery call with FocusCopy today to explore how we can support you.
Options For Website Designers To Avoid Their Copy Problems
Now, we know the top problems website designers experience. But what are the options for website designers to avoid their copy problems?
Ask The Right Questions
To find the best answers, you need to ask the right questions. Here are a couple of questions to assess whether the client can provide the copy or whether you need to enforce they use your copywriting skills (hopefully, provided by FocusCopy).
- As for your website copy, are you writing your own copy, or are you hiring a professional copywriter?
- What does success look like for this website?
- Do you want to create meaningful engagement with your target audience on your website?
- How much time can you commit in [insert timeframe you want to copy] to write, edit, and deliver your copy to us?
Stand By Your Timelines
If you’ve included it in your contracts, enforce your timelines. One thing we’ve seen help many website designers and marketers is to put into place a revision or feedback period. This not only makes this website project your client’s priority, but it allows you to better plan your resources.
Find A Solution For Website Copy
Usually, investing in a website redesign and redevelopment is a big deal for companies. Emphasize that you wouldn’t make a big investment without actually doing it right. We have created a couple of options to help you improve your service offerings.
Send Website Copy Templates
A blank page is your worst enemy. We’ve created a whole host of website copy templates that you can download directly from our website to help your clients fill out their copy.
Click here to access (go to resources page).
Make Copy Completed By Professional Writers A Requirement For Your Clients
Another way to avoid the copy situation altogether is to require it as part of your website package. If you don’t have a copywriter on your team to supply the copy, you can partner with a company like FocusCopy to outsource the copy development.
Interested in chatting with us? Schedule a call with us today to explore a potential partnership.
Partner With The Website Copywriting Experts
As a preferred partner for website designers all across the nation, we work closely with your process to add value to your clients and streamline the most frustrating part of the design process – the copy.
