The Real Thing!

• The original writer went AWOL, leaving the project unfinished.

• The original writer was not a native English speaker and had a poor command of the language.

• The original writer had not understood the client’s needs and requirements.

• The end result was poor and unusable.

Sometimes, this situation arises because the client was looking to cut costs and so went with the cheapest quote. Now, cheap doesn’t necessarily mean shoddy workmanship and poor quality, but it is often a case of “you get what you pay for”. Sometimes you can get lucky, other times cheap = poor results. Going with the cheapest writer is not always a good idea, especially when you end up paying twice because you have to get the work re-done.

Other times, businesses or individuals do not look at a writer’s portfolio, feedback or testimonials, qualifications and experience. They are in a rush, so who can blame then? However, if you want a job done well, you need to spend some time looking into writers and seeing if what they do is a match with what you want.

When you are employing a freelance writer, you need to look at:-

• Their portfolio or samples – Are they able to adapt their style of writing? Are their samples accurate for spelling, grammar etc.? Does their writing flow? Is it interesting?

• Testimonials or feedback – What do past clients think of them? Do they have happy customers? Do they have repeat customers? Repeat customers are obviously a good sign.

• Their command of English (or whatever language you want!) - A writer does not necessarily have to be a native English speaker to write well – I know many people whose English is perfect, yet it is their second language – but always be careful when hiring non-native English speakers.

• Any contact you have with the writer – I have seen some project proposals which were not even in proper, accurate English. An example is someone’s proposal that started with “ i am a freelance writer”! If there are glaring mistakes in emails and quotes, move on!

• Timing and deadlines – Can the writer work to your deadline? Obviously, a deadline needs to be realistic and you need to give a writer enough time to do your job well, but you need a writer who can stick to deadlines and who’s good at scheduling jobs. Some “cheaper” writers have to take on a large amount of work to survive and therefore find it hard to stick to deadlines.

• Price – Does the price quoted match your budget and is it tailored to your needs? Professional writers will charge professional fees, so be prepared to pay these rates, if you want a quality, professional result. Rush jobs usually incur extra fees because a writer has to prioritize your job

I hope that this article has given you some useful advice about hiring writers. Please click here to contact me with your requirements – I’m a professional writer not a cheap imitation!

I’ve just had a really bad experience with an international cosmetic company that I’d ordered some products from. Their customer service was awful, in fact, it was non-existent. My order took a month to get to me, my emails were not replied to and I got no apology. Will I order from them again? No way! But this experience got me thinking about customer service and keeping clients happy.

My Business

Keeping clients happy is vital in my line of work. I own my own freelance writing business and if I don’t keep my clients happy, it is easy for them to look elsewhere.

If I lose clients, it affects my bottom line - I lose income, my reputation suffers and word gets around that I’m not reliable. The result is that my business suffers.

When the majority of my clients are repeat business, one mistake on my part would be drastic!

Fortunately, I care about my freelance writing clients and do all I can to keep them happy. In fact, I love to exceed expectations, beat deadlines, over deliver and hand in top quality work. I hope that’s obvious from the many postive testimonials on my website. I’ve actually never had negative feedback, a fact that I’m incredibly proud of.

How I Keep Clients Happy

So, what do I do to keep clients happy and to keep them wanting more:-

• I stay in contact and let the client know how the project is going.
• I respect the client and provide them with what they have asked for.
• I stick to deadlines.
• I make sure that I understand the needs of my client, that I understand the project.
• I price projects realistically.
• I only take on projects that I know I can do.
• I provide extras - My husband is a web designer and so I can provide a website and web content as a package!

It also helps that I love my job and my business. I’m sure that my passion for my writing shines through and his help my clients, when they need interesting and engaging writing!

Click here to contact me for a quote for your writing needs - e-books, articles, web content, ghost writing, sales copy…I’m here to help!

Many business owners know how valuable a good copywriter can be to their business. However, there are some companies who still live in the dark ages.

Some think that hiring a professional freelance copywriter is a big waste of time and money. These companies should ask themselves what they would do if their top-of-the-range Mercedes Benz broke down. Would they fix it themselves? Would they ask a friend who’s never even looked under the hood of the car? No way! They would contact a Mercedes garage and get a trained mechanic to look at it.

So, why do companies put their business sales copy into the hands of cheap, inexperienced writers, or even do it themselves? It’s madness!

A trained freelance copywriter, like claireridgway.com, can help your business in many ways. She will:-

• Give your web site that edge and polish – A great way to stand out from your competitors is to give your visitors quality and relevant content. A copywriter can express what you want to say concisely, in a way that is easy to understand, in the right kind of language or style for your visitors and in an interesting and attention grabbing way. A copywriter can also take into account SEO. Remember, content is king - do not make keywords your priority over content.

• Promote your business – A good freelance copywriter will writes sales copy which will “speak” your message to your target audience. A good copywriter is not just a writer, she is a top notch marketing expert too! A copywriter will focus on customer benefits and will use your USP (unique selling proposition) to reel in those customers. Use a copywriter for brochures, emails, direct mail letters, postcards etc.

• Increase sales – By speaking to your target audience, appealing to their emotions and backing up a decision to buy with rationale, a freelance copywriter can increase your sales dramatically. Sales copy may look easy to write, but it’s not! An experienced copywriter will know the secrets of what turns people on and off.

• Save you a fortune – Hiring an expert freelance copywriter to write your sales copy can save you from wasting money on advertising streams, which just won’t work - PLUS you can hire a freelance copywriter, rather than having to employ one full-time. Using a freelancer is a great option in these tough economic times.

Don’t make the mistake of leaving your business sales copy in the hands of amateurs. In this economic climate, your business needs to stand out and it needs to reach its customers successfully. Contact me to discuss your copywriting needs TODAY!

Writer's Tools

So, what do I love about my freelance writing business:-

• The fact that no two days are the same – different clients, different topic areas, different styles of writing etc. One day I can be blogging, the next I’m copywriting, then writing an e-book or articles, and so on.

• That I get to network with and “meet” so many people from all over the world – by the wonders of the Worldwide Web.

• The fame - OK, so most of my work gets published under someone else’s name, but it’s still great to see my words in print or on a website.

• That I get to help people with their businesses – there’s nothing more satisfying than having a client thank me for how I’ve helped their product to sell or to get their website off the ground.

• The fact that I’m in control – in these times of the Credit Crunch, economic instability, and doom and gloom, I’m glad that I’m in control of my life. I cannot lose my job and I am the only one responsible for my career and my earnings.

• I will always be needed - businesses will always want help with marketing materials and people will always need web content, probably more so in this climate where people NEED to succeed.

• I love writing - writing is my passion and my vocation, not a career or job.

• That I’m always learning and my brain is constantly active – researching new topic areas and learning new styles and techniques. I’m a writer who is constantly striving to be the best at what I do. I allocate time to learn from others, such as master copywriters, novelists, internet marketers…

• The Power – there’s so much you can do with words. Words have the power to sell, to show love, to explain, to describe, to build a picture, to bring a topic or place to life, to awaken a person’s senses and so much more. I harness this power every day!

I hope you get the idea that I love my business and that I’m proud of what I do! I’d be delighted to help you with your writing needs, so please contact me with your requirements – click here to go to the contact page.