“How much would you charge for writing content for my website?”
It’s a well-meaning but far too general question if you’re interested in getting a quote on content writing services.
Just as contractors can’t give you an estimate on your kitchen renovations until they have taken measurements and learned whether you want a hardwood or linoleum floor, content writers can’t quote you a project rate until you’ve given them some detailed information.
This matters to writers because it gives them a feel for the volume of content they’ll need to write. Obviously, a website with five pages will take far less time and effort than a 30-page website.
The specific types of pages make a difference, too. Crafting an “Our Services” page requires more time than writing a catchy blurb for a “Contact Us” page.
A website’s layout and design elements can affect the amount of time a writer will spend on writing your content. Some websites’ home pages have a slider and small content boxes which link to specific pages, some sites are designed as a single page on which visitors scroll to get to different sections, other sites are laid out in other ways. When estimating the work involved, it helps writers to know how content will fit on the various pages of your website.
Email and easy-to-use online collaboration tools like Trello and Evernote make the process more efficient. Face-to-face meetings require more time, especially with a commute factored in. And if you prefer to provide information via phone calls and expect the writer to take notes, that’s more time consuming for a writer, too.
Online research and phone interviews add hours to projects. Most writers will want to factor that into their pricing.
If one person is the first and final stop, the revision process will typically be smooth and short. When content needs to be approved by a marketing manager, a top-level executive, and a board of directors, things can get drawn out. The writer could face multiple revision requests as each tier of approval has its own ideas of what content should say or how it should sound.
The number of team members you feature will affect the amount of time a writer will spend on this page. And if those team members don’t have existing bios or LinkedIn profiles with key details, your writer will need to spend time gathering that information from them.
The quantity of products and services and volume of content for each can dramatically affect how much work a writer faces. Expect to provide this information upfront. If you’re not yet sure about the quantity of products and services, you might instead ask the writer to quote this page on a per product or service basis. I.e., the writer might quote you $125 per product description, and your cost for that page will then depend on how many products you finally decide to include. For example: 4 products = $500.
If a writer won’t be able to accommodate your timeline, what’s the point of getting a quote from her? Sharing your content deadline upfront can save both you and the writer from wasting time. And if you’re expecting the writer to meet a rush deadline, expect to pay more—especially if your writer is in demand and will need to either adjust her project schedule or work above and beyond her normal project load.
The writers you connect with may ask some of these questions or all of these questions, and they might have other questions as well when considering what to charge for writing your website content. Regardless, you’ll get a more accurate quote and avoid added expense later if you’re prepared to provide as much information as possible about your project from the get-go.
Your turn! If you’ve worked with a freelance writer on your website content, what questions did they ask when pricing your project? If you’re a writer, did I miss anything? What would you add to the list?
I view my role as more than an independent contractor for hire — I become a part of your team. You’ll find that I dig into the details to understand what’s important to you — and your customers. I embrace collaboration, communicate openly, and craft content to help you achieve your marketing and business goals. Read More...
Hi Dawn, This is an informative post that helps clients as much as writers – writers should make sure their prospective clients read it! A couple of other thoughts. Often it helps to get a good handle on word count. There’s a big difference between a 250-word page and a 750-word page. Also, the writer should ask if search engine optimization is part of the project. If so, is the client providing the keywords, and what are the specific composition expectations (if any) the client is expecting from the writer?
Thank you, Brad! And I appreciate you sharing those additional considerations–they definitely affect how much time and effort a writer needs to apply to an assignment. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!