SEO Hosting Blog

Not a week goes by that I don’t talk to someone about how they’ve been ripped off by a freelance copywriter or freelance designer. I’ve been a freelancer myself for several years, and while I always take a professional approach to handling my business, I’m very well aware that not all freelancers are on the up and up.

Fortunately, hiring a good freelancer isn’t all that difficult. You just have to take these steps to make sure you don’t get ripped off.

• Avoid the job boards—I know that many of you are going to disagree with this, but I don’t think that the best way to find a freelancer is to post an ad on Craigslist, a freelance writing job board, or one of this websites where freelancers bid on jobs. Why? Let’s be honest—any freelancer who is truly skilled at his or her craft isn’t going to spend time trolling around on job boards. That freelancer’s services will be in demand. In other words, you need to find the freelancer. A simple Google search for the type of freelancer you need (e.g. “freelance copywriter” or “freelance web designer”) will get you pointed in the right direction.
• Always ask for samples—Never hire a freelancer without seeing samples of their work first. It doesn’t matter what services you need, you must see a portfolio before hiring. This will prove that the freelancer is capable of handling the job, and it helps to make sure you hire someone whose style and approach meets your needs.
• Be willing to pay a competitive rate—There’s something to be said for the old adage “you get what you pay for.” If you’re offering super cheap compensation, guess what type of freelancer you’re going to attract? A low quality one. You need to be willing to pay a competitive rate if you want to get the best talent.
• Pick up the phone—Spend a few minutes talking to the freelancer on the phone. Tell them about your project, ask them about their experience, find out about their working process, and try to get a feel for whether or not the freelancer will be a good fit on your project.
• Never pay the full amount up front—You should never pay in full for the project before it has been completed. In most situations, the freelancer will request a deposit before starting work, usually up to 50% of the total price. Paying a deposit is totally acceptable. Paying the full amount up front is not.
• Get it in writing—Draft up a basic agreement that outlines the details of your project, the freelancer’s responsibilities, rates, deadlines, and other relevant information. Sign it, have the freelancer sign it, and keep it on file.

Have you ever been burned by a freelancer? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

At some point, you may find yourself needing the services of a freelance writer. Maybe you need someone to create sales copy for your website or brochure. Or maybe you need a blogger to create a few posts each week. Or you could even need an article writer if you’re still relying on article distribution as an internet marketing strategy.

Whatever the case may be, one of the first things you’ll need to do is decide how much you’re going to pay a freelance writer for the project. Now, if you’re like a lot of people, you may want to know just how little you can get away with paying to get the job done. After all, the less you have to pay, the better, right?

Wrong.

Here are 5 reasons you shouldn’t hire a cheap writer.

1. Quality will almost always suffer—There’s an old saying that applies perfectly—“You get what you pay for.” If you’re going to hire a cheap writer at rates far below the industry average, you’re almost certainly going to get work that’s well below the industry average in terms of quality. If you want good work, you have to pay competitive prices. It’s that simple.
2. You may not get original work—How are some writers able to produce content for just a few bucks a pop? It might be because they’re actually stealing the content from somebody else. That’s right. Many companies have been burned by cheap writers who simply stole content off the web, maybe spun it a little bit, and passed it off as fresh and original.
3. Cheap writers often lack experience—Think about this. If a freelance writer was good and experienced at their job, would they be scouring the job boards looking for work at dirt cheap rates? I didn’t think so.
4. Cheap writers may also lack professionalism—If you’ve ever dealt with a bad freelance writer, you know how much of a nightmare it can be. They promise to deliver the work by a certain date, and then miss the deadline. They drop off the face of the earth and stop responding to emails for days or weeks at a time. They come up with insane excuses about why they’re behind on their work. Spend a little more money so you can hire a true professional.
5. Good writing takes time—Writing anything takes time. It takes time to do the research, outline a plan, create a draft, edit the draft, and rewrite the content until it’s just right. When you’re paying someone a dirt cheap rate to write something, they’re not going to spend as much time on it as they should. Time is money.

Have you ever hired a cheap writer? How did things turn out for you?

Guest blogging is a topic I’ve spent quite a bit of time writing about. I think it’s an important thing to talk about, because many people are finally starting to realize the benefits guest blogging has to offer, and they’re jumping aboard the bandwagon. That’s great, but you have to make sure you’re approaching guest blogging in the right way if you want to get the most out of it. More simply stated, you have to make sure you’re not a bad guest blogger.

How can you tell if you’re a bad guest blogger? Here are a few warning signs.

• You act like the blogger owes you something in your pitch—I’ve received pitches from guest bloggers who come across as alarmingly entitled. They pump themselves up and try to bully me into accepting their guest posts. It’s insane just how clueless some of these guest bloggers are. News flash: nobody owes you anything. You don’t deserve any guest blogging opportunities.
• You don’t take time to learn about the blog—A good guest blogger spends time researching the blog, reading old posts, learning about the blogger, and interacting with the readers in the comments before making a pitch. The better you understand the blog, the more able you’ll be to pitch a topic that’s a good fit.
• You write your guest posts as quickly as you can—If you’re just interested in cranking out as many guest posts as you can so you can build tons of links, you’re in this for the wrong reasons. It’s your duty as a guest blogger to provide the very best content you’re capable of creating. You owe it to the blogger who’s publishing your content, the readers, and yourself (your reputation is on the line!).
• You change the topic you agreed to write about—If you tell the blog owner that you’re going to write a guest post about a certain topic, that’s what you need to write the post about. You can’t change your mind without notifying the blogger and turn in a post on an entirely different subject.
• You don’t respond to comments—Don’t be the guest blogger who turns in a post and disappears. Part of being a guest blogger is interacting with the readers who respond by leaving comments. You need to stick around after your post is published and create meaningful conversations with the readers. And while you’re at it, help promote your guest post too.
• You don’t thank the blogger for letting your guest post—It’s common courtesy. Send over an email thanking the blogger for publishing your guest post.

Are you a bad guest blogger?

You might be sick of seeing them by now, but the fact remains—list posts work. People love reading and sharing good lists. A good list post contains useful or entertaining information in an easy-to-read format that promotes discussion.

Here are 5 easy ideas for list posts that you can create for your blog.

1. Favorite people in your industry to follow on Twitter—I’ve written multiple “Top (insert industry) People to Follow on Twitter” posts on different blogs, and each time, the posts have been a remarkable success. Twitter is a very popular social networking platform, and your readers are always looking for new, interesting people to follow. Put together a list of some of your favorite industry people on Twitter.
2. Best blogs in your niche—Show some love to the other blogs in your niche by creating a list of your favorites. Don’t be afraid to link out to “the competition.” If your content is great and unique, your readers aren’t going to leave you. They’ll enjoy checking out the other blogs, and the bloggers you link to will be grateful for the shout out.
3. Most common mistakes your customers make—As a marketer, I often write about the costly marketing mistakes businesses make time and time again. These posts are effective for multiple reasons. They educate the reader, giving them information they can actually use and benefit from, and they increase the author’s credibility, helping to position him as a thought leader.
4. Biggest myths related to your industry—Every industry is plagued by misinformation. This blog is focused on internet marketing and SEO. Think there aren’t a few SEO myths out there that need busting? Make a list of the biggest myths in your niche and set them on blast!
5. Predictions for the future of your industry—It’s still early on in 2012, so you have time to make your predictions for the future of your industry in the coming year. Don’t be afraid to make some predictions. Just make sure you provide solid reasoning for each of your picks.

What are some other good ideas others can use for list posts? Share your best ideas by leaving a comment below.

As a copywriter, I regularly get clients who want me to critique and rewrite their underperforming landing pages. Having taken on more of these projects than I can remember at this point, I’ve noticed that many people make the same mistakes on their landing pages, causing their conversion rates to plummet.

The good news is that these 5 common landing page mistakes are easy to fix once you recognize them.

1. Headlines that lack benefits—There are many different elements that go into writing a great headline for a landing page. The headline needs to pique the interest of the reader, be clear and easy to understand, and relate to the ad that brought the visitor to your landing page. But most importantly of all, your headline needs to be benefit-driven. How will your product or service improve the lives of your customers? What needs does it meet? What do you provide that no one else can match? Focus on creating a headline that answers these types of questions.
2. Conflicting formats—There are many different types of landing pages you can create, from sales letters to upsell landing pages. I’ve noticed that some landing pages try to blend formats, and the result is often an unfocused mess. Figure out a format for your landing page, and stick with it throughout the entire page to keep a consistent style.
3. Hidden call to action—If you’re trying to get conversions on your landing page, you need to have a prominent call to action. Internet users spend 80% of their time looking at content above the fold. In other words, they don’t like scrolling down the page. That means you need a strong call to action placed above the fold in a spot where visitors can’t miss it.
4. No strong offer—You have to make your visitors an offer they can’t refuse. Just telling them to fill out a form or sign up for your email list isn’t going to work. You need to have a strong offer, and you need to make it clear why they can’t afford to pass up your offer. Benefits. Benefits. Benefits.
5. Nothing to establish credibility—Consumers have become increasingly cautious when shopping online. They know the internet is full of shady companies looking to make a quick buck, so it’s your job to earn their trust. Your landing page needs to establish credibility. One way to do this is by including testimonials from satisfied customers. Another thing you can do is to compare your product side-by-side with competing products to show exactly why it’s better.

What are some of the biggest landing page mistakes you’ve seen? Share them by leaving a comment below.