Would you walk into a Mercedes dealer with a suitcase full of notes
if the signage was peeling, the windows cracked and the door handles hanging off?

Your company’s website is an international sales tool, a window into your business.
It doesn’t just explain what you do, how you do it, how great you are at it and why, it gives everything away about your company’s commitment to success; your professionalism, your fantastic product, attention to fine detail, your inability to spell, use good grammar, construct a sentence…..it can even show if you bite your nails. It demonstrates what you do in the shower in the morning, and reveals what you think about last thing at night. Because it’s not just what you write, it’s the way you write it that reveals so much about your business to the entire world.“

"Copy doesn’t matter to most people, only those who are good at English”.
And it doesn’t matter if you drive a clapped-out car and wear odd shoes. It still has four wheels and an engine, it goes, and you have another pair like that at home. And you’re going to look really impressive when you roll up outside that big blue chip to try to win that new business…..

Why use an Ipaq when you could just carry a clipboard and pen? Why use a cellphone when two cans and an exceptionally long piece of string will suffice? Why buy a dog when you could bark yourself? We bet you don’t do your own plumbing. You didn’t wire up the company central heating (did you?).You even bought in a graphic designer when you wanted your new mail outs designing – Why? You could have used your own crayons.

So why are you writing your own web content? Worse still, why are you expecting a web designer or an artist to write it?
There are three very separate disciplines involved in producing a website; each one of them as important as the other. Remember, you’ll pay for all three, regardless of the company’s experience in any one of them.
First, there’s the build. This covers the ergonomic layout and functionality of the site. This should be carried out by an experienced IT programmer, and the whole success of the site will rise and fall on their skills.
Secondly, there’s the design element. These are the logos, animation and backgrounds. This should be carried out by qualified, proven artists working in tandem with the web builder; who have a total understanding of colour, form, layout, balance –web builders are rarely artists. Art and design defines our visual world, so the “look” of your site is paramount.
Thirdly, there’s the content. Imagine a glossy magazine, A4, heavy front cover, neat spine, delineated columns – with nothing inside. Bare. No words, no images, no photos. This is how a website looks without content. The content is the most important part of your website, and is usually the most neglected. And it’s content that many website design companies expect you, the client, to provide. Don’t think that cutting and pasting from your printed marketing collateral will do – it won’t, and you’ll be missing the greatest opportunity to market your company to an infinite audience.

A website design company will tell you how to get into the top of a search engine, but you can only achieve that with the right content. So who’s providing that? The boss who is only too keen to supply the big words (unique, unrivalled, unequalled)? The work experience student? The “one who’s good with that stuff”? They might well have a combined AS level BA (hons) MA Baccalaureate, butcan they write sexy marketing copy? Does it draw people in? Is it rich enough for search engines to find it?  Is it ridden with clichés? Does it say what you DO? Will it be proof-read before it goes live? And the big question - How often will it be updated?

Have a look at your existing website. Perhaps it was written in 2003 by a company who offered you the earth then failed to deliver. They’re probably charging you a disgraceful monthly maintenance charge for you to send them updates for them to spend five minutes uploading (that you’ve no doubt written yourself – see above).

We know what you’re thinking. There’s too much writing on this page, where’re the pictures? It’s like we said, copy is our speciality. Contact us for a quick proof-read or a complete re-write of your version of War and Peace. And leave the words to the experts.

*Yes, we know, just testing. And if YOU advertise copywriting on your website, make sure it’s the right copy"write”. ‘Because we know a website design company that doesn’t know the difference between copyrighting and copywriting and they might be designing your site right now....

You’ve won the client. They’ve accepted the quote. They love your design; the layout, the pop-ups, the way when you click on that little thing, it does that cute stuff. The colours, the sound, the content.......
The content? You asked them to provide content? They thought you’d provide it. But “content” includes all of the words. OK, they’ll have a go, but they’re not much good with words. They’ll get back to you within a week. Or so. Meanwhile, there’s a big space on your Nobo board (we know you don’t really operate out of a paperless office) saying “content required on this one.”

Still waiting? Job not finished?
Final amount not invoiced? Client fed up? You know what they say about content. Content is king. And they’re ‘king right. So why allow your stunning piece of brilliance to be marred – or delayed - by your client’s inarticulate and tardy literal ramblings?

Copestake Ltd has over fifteen years experience in writing copy, cross sector, cross discipline and cross media - for websites, marketing tools, presentations, business documentation, e-campaigns, newsletters, magazines and press releases. We have worked in sectors as diverse as Finance, Computer Gaming, Bespoke Joinery, Medical Devices, Restaurants, Risk Management and Childcare. Perhaps your client is happy with the design and build you prepared earlier; we can offer a content overview of their existing site (it might help you prove a point!) or a complete re-write.

How we work
We offer the service you want, from working covertly in partnership with your company as a copywriter, to external troubleshooter for those times when you need a little support, inflict a little persuasion, or just want to pass the buck. We can give you a ball park cost at this stage.

If this cost seems acceptable, we will visit your client, talk to them at length in a recorded interview and analyse their business as complete outsiders – ie their client base – and assess how they want to be perceived by their target audience.
Who are they trying to reach, how to attract their attention, convince them, seduce them…. Our aim is to speak with their voice in the language of their particular sector.
We can then give you a firm costing, which will include all travel, interviews, drafts and re-writes.  The cost also includes a final proof-read on screen prior to the site going live.

We can invoice your company directly, or, if you prefer, we can invoice your client; it’s up to you. Contact us to find out how we can help close the deal on this all-too-common problem