NEED Advice .. Web Design VS. Copywriting ..

[GSanders12]

Hey, I'm starting up a Lawn Care business and the thing is, i'm having trouble with something. I have a $2500 budget for my entire website.

Now, a reputable copywriter in my area has quoted me $2000 to copy write 6 pages of my website .. however, i was wondering if I would be able to spend the remaining $500 on web DESIGN ..

or.. should I just simply find a cheaper quote for copywriting and split copywriting and web design 50/50 by paying $1250 for each ?
Not sure how important web design is compared to copywriting .. was wondering if i could get some opinions and advice on what i should do?

I've seen web designers always charge in the thousands of dollars worth and then the same with copywriters.

The way my company will get customers is to basically draw them in with the door hangers .. and then that will direct them to the website and the website will close the deal.

Hope to get some awesome feedback from you guys.

Gary

 

[JaredOnTop]

Sending you a PM.....

Sent from my DROID BIONIC

 

[GSanders12]

Any advice guys?

 

[StarWorks]

Did not see txt.

 

[knton1314]

I think that copywriting it's a very important part but $2000 it's too much. Im sure you can find same service for a smaller price but if not i will go for copywriting and get a wp theme, a custom logo and some pics an make the website. There are so many wp templates and I'm sure you can find one and make a little customization but you can't find "good words" for your bussines easy.
Get a wp template for $55-90 and watch some youtube videos to make simple changes.

 

[JOBGG]

If the guys worth his 2000 bucks, then I'd invest 2000 into the copy and 500 into the webdesign. Why?
Look at old school direct mailing sales letters, or magazine advertisements. A lot of carefully engineered text and little to no images where they won't increase conversion by more than the equivalent space filled with text would have. The design isn't fancy, yet some of them stay on the same magazine for years on end, profitable without a single change. On the other hand, look at the glitzy, big, graphic, feelgood ads that often line magazines and are taken down by the next issue.

TL;DR Great copy can last you decades, great webdesign will last you at longest till HTML 6 or something comes out.

 

[cm00x]

Design has nothing to do with html and wordpress is for blogs not real business..

 

[knton1314]

Design has nothing to do with html and wordpress is for blogs not real business..

What do you want to say?

 

[therage]

I think that copywriting it's a very important part but $2000 it's too much. Im sure you can find same service for a smaller price but if not i will go for copywriting and get a wp theme, a custom logo and some pics an make the website. There are so many wp templates and I'm sure you can find one and make a little customization but you can't find "good words" for your bussines easy.
Get a wp template for $55-90 and watch some youtube videos to make simple changes.

DISGUSTING! Cheaper = LESS EFFECTIVENESS. I know this to be the case. Big copy writers get paid TOP BUCKS, small sucky noobs get paid PENNIES. It is the law of supply and demand, but their supply is quality. I would rather pay $40,000 per sales copy, than some idiot $99. It is a art form, and most of all it is a delicate art form. I've spent the last great part of my life learning the hard way that sales copy = LORD PROTECTOR, sales copy + advertising + quality product = GODLIKE. Sheesh, its the same as when someone posted about small businesses not knowing how to advertise, YET I see garbage ads from 99% of them, and garbage ads from 80% of the big businesses. GEE, wonder who is spouting crap and who isn't? Go search Google and YouTube and you will see I am right.

 

[JOBGG]

To be honest, I would make his pay relative to conversion you get. Get him to tell you what amount of conversion he expects from the copy and pay him 1000 $ upfrront for the copy, and the rest depending how close he got to his prediction, ergo if he predicts 5% conversion, and only brings in 4%, you pay him 1800$, if he brings in 10%, you pay him 3000$, but since you're allready ready to payy 2000 $ for copy, you'll win anyways.

 

[knton1314]

DISGUSTING? I understand what you say but you missed the point: "I have a $2500 budget for my entire website". So for that money he want to make the best choice.
I gave the men my oppinion.
Yes is good to have the best copyright but that cost much and you don't know if you will have profit.

 

[QualityContentWriter]

Wow, I'm just as quick to defend the rates for copywriters (not copyright by the way!) but the OP obviously isn't questioning the rate at all, so I am happy to defend him! The situation, he has only $2500 to invest in the website development, including copywriting. So in that case, I would not spend $2,000 just on copy. Design, SEO, local search placement, and social (if you're going to go that far) are also going to need to be covered in the same budget.

The nature of the business (lawn care) really needs to put the priority on local search so I understand if you want to move forward with somebody local but I did send a PM expressing interest in helping with your copywriting, website development, and local search all within budget.

The door hangers is a good idea. You'll also want to run a press release, join the local Chamber of Commerce, and network your butt off. Try to secure some contracts with small commercial clients. (My exhusband worked in landscaping, and I saw his friend turn a side job mowing lawns into the biggest landscaping company in all of Central New York (upstate) so I feel I have a bit to contribute to this topic. I don't mind building your website within the budget mentioned.

 

[4kbmcc]

Sounds like your copywriter is your salesperson. You expect this website to convince visitors to pick up the phone and buy your services. If that's the case the copywriter is your most valuable resource, without him you're not in business.

 

[ProfitGoblin]

The copywriting debate is an interesting one. there's no doubting that a good copywriter will pay for themselves but you also need to question how many leads and at what stage of the sales funnel you'll be getting people to your site. Cold selling to someone with only a passing interest in your product is NOT the same as sealing the deal on a warm laser targetted prospect and so to that end, I'd be wary of shelling out 80% of your budget in one go.

Forget whether the guy is worth it or not, what's your contingency plan. Can you still afford to launch if you end up with poor copy and $500?

I'd take a more conservative approach personally.

 

[noseo]

Ask for samples and compare it to the samples of other copywriters. If you've already done this and this guy is the best ... and you have a product worth selling ... then, of course, go for it. Unless the website itself is the product, like some fancy database or software onsite, putting more into the HTML/CSS/whatever doesn't make sales.

 

[mosschief]

as long as the design doesn't get in the way of the copy, it's fine. At least that's how it seems to me.

 

[nihalsad]

Get it done from freelancer or odesk.