Get Paid $2,500 for Writing a Proposal … and Open the Door to Endless Money-Making Opportunities with Clients
By Pam Foster

Recently, I was talking with Rebecca Matter about various ways to grow a web-copywriting business.

We discussed how critical it can be to think out of the box when it comes to web-copywriting services you can offer …

How fresh thinking can help you win over clients very quickly and set you apart from other copywriters.

When I told Rebecca about a particular method I follow to get paid around $2,500 for an initial website review while setting the stage for future work with a client, she got very enthusiastic — even more than usual, if you can picture that. :-)

So today, I’m going to reveal an approach you can take to earn $2,500 on web-content proposals while setting the stage for infinite money-making opportunities with your clients.

A while back, I received a very nice referral for a new client. The client’s website was in trouble and needed some serious help … fast.

At first glance, I could tell that the website was practically invisible in search engines and its competition was showing up instead. Plus, the site itself wasn’t designed or written to generate a steady stream of leads for its services.

It would take a multi-faceted approach to fix this website, so I decided to offer this client a strategic Site Audit to uncover all the site’s problems and opportunities.

I charged $2,500 for this Site Audit, but it has become worth so much more to my business, as I’ll explain later.

First, what is a Site Audit? It’s a step-by-step evaluation of a client’s current web content and how it works (or doesn’t) to attract visitors and turn them into customers.

This review also includes recommendations on how to help your client fix the problems that impede online success.

How is this different from the process of starting any new web project? After all, most web projects begin with an assessment of the current site and how the content can be improved.

A Site Audit is different from a simple web-copywriting proposal — and much more lucrative — for a number of reasons.

• First, you can earn $1,000-$2,500 or even more for a thorough Site Audit, and you’re suddenly positioned as a professional advisor, not just a copywriter.

  That’s a nice fee for offering strategic guidance to your client. With a detailed report of this kind, you’re demonstrating expertise beyond just writing single pages of copy.

  This sets the stage for a trusted, collaborative, and lasting relationship with your client.

  And keep in mind, this fee is ON TOP OF any web-copywriting projects you get as a result of this audit. Read on to see what I mean …

• During your Site Audit, you uncover a number of content corrections or improvements needed throughout the site … which all lead to web-copywriting opportunities.

  Your discoveries are usually much more extensive than if you were asked by the client to simply write or revise a couple of pages.

  For example, you may find that a product’s particular sales page sequence isn’t working as well as it could. You may end up writing several pages that connect together in an effort to drive product orders into a shopping cart. Or, you may end up revising every single page of the site.

• Since the client paid you to provide your expert recommendations, you can assume he or she will also hire you to take care of them.

  Why would the client go find another copywriter when you now understand the client’s business, target audience, challenges, and strengths? Plus, you’ve demonstrated that you know how to improve the site’s performance.

  It’s only natural that you’ll be the one to write the recommended fixes, such as adding SEO keywords in an ethical manner, writing compelling headlines, adding benefit-rich bullets, etc. This is your expertise!

• Not only will you have a chance to correct the content issues that require immediate attention, it’s very likely that your client will need you for ongoing advice and copywriting work.

  Consider your opportunities with a single business. It will undoubtedly need more content for the website itself and also for online and offline marketing approaches, such as videos, emails, direct mail, and much more.

  In fact, I recently came up with a list of 50 different copywriting opportunities you could offer your client!

  Here are just a few writing opportunities for any client who needs to compete today:

  • New web pages
  • Online articles
  • Blog posts
  • E-newsletters
  • Autoresponders (emails in a series)
  • Specific product or promotion landing pages
  • Banner ads
  • Postcards
  • Sales letters
  • Trade show materials
  • Training manuals
  • And dozens more

• Finally, since the client has paid you handsomely for the Site Audit, you can command higher fees for your ongoing work.

  As a consultant, you set yourself apart from other copywriters. You’re a professional marketing advisor with excellent copywriting skills; someone who sees the big picture and connects the client’s needs across an entire site and other marketing channels.

  This is entirely different from web copywriters who do “piecemeal” project work, right?

  So, now the client understands the value to his or her business and is willing to pay you what you’re worth.

In essence, a Site Audit establishes your unique value proposition as a strategic partner with your client; helping him or her see you as a godsend for ongoing online success.

It’s a proposal on steroids.

That’s why Rebecca said, “I love it! It’s like getting paid $2,500 to present a web-copywriting proposal. Plus, it identifies all kinds of money-making opportunities for the web writer.”

She immediately saw the potential of Site Audits as a major door-opener for growth-minded web copywriters like you.

For me, that initial Site Audit I described earlier turned into a site-wide content revising project that included 33 pages of copywriting. And since then, I’ve worked on the client’s marketing campaigns, social media guide, and operations manuals.

Just imagine the opportunities a single Site Audit can generate for you.

So, how exactly do you conduct a strategic Site Audit?

It’s much easier than you think … when you have the right tools.

In my new AWAI program, Site Audits Made Simple: Consult Your Way to Lucrative Web Copywriting Projects, I’ve pulled together all the tools and techniques I use to conduct successful Site Audits.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you’ll need to know, such as:

• The “best practice” criteria for measuring web-content success
• 5 critical components of web content that actually works
• 31 aspects that can make — or break — a website’s success in mere seconds
• The best way to demonstrate how your client stacks up against his or her competition
• How to recommend content improvements your client will embrace
• Secrets to creating a powerful “show and tell” report
• How to present your report in a clear and helpful way so clients immediately say, “When can you start writing the improvements?!”
• Plus, my list of 50 different copywriting opportunities you could offer your client