It can be easy to underestimate the power of a good copy edit. Especially when you write for a living. When working with direct clients, I usually include the option to include proofreading and/or editing. However, I break the price down so the client can see the cost and then make a decision whether they want to pay extra for another pair of professional eyes on their final copy or translation.

Years ago, I tried to set up a small, products-based business. I got my website ready, took some nice, if not overly stunning photos, and excitedly scheduled some tweets for launch day. My tweets were quite simple, announcing the business launch and asking my audience to go check it out. I told my friends about it, both in person and virtually, hoping for some valuable word-of-mouth custom. The next day, I logged on to my Google Analytics, hoping to see at least a handful of website visits. Not a sausage.

The About Me is often the most visited page on your website. People want to know about people, who they’re buying from, what makes them tick, and what drives them. It is also one of the most notoriously hard pages to write on your website. I’ve even heard about copywriters employing other copywriters to write their About Me pages.

There can be a dizzying array of choice when it comes to getting a pair of professional eyes to look at your work. From proofreading to editing. From non-native English editing to bilingual proofreading. These are all slightly different services, and it can be difficult to know straight off what most suits your needs. The difference between proofreading and editing can seem blurred, but there is a very real difference.

Us freelancers could be forgiven for thinking we’re off the hook. Our business model – usually providing services and consultancy from our laptops – typically doesn’t involve production or even many materials. So it’s easy to think that the way we work is eco-friendly or zero waste by default. But over the last few months I’ve realised that I had my head in the sand about some of the ways my freelance work could be contributing (negatively) to the planet.

'What exactly is copywriting?’ asked a friend the other day, as I told her for the nth time about my business. Sometimes I have to remind myself that, outside of my bubble of podcasts and blogs, many people don’t know what copywriting is.

A professional freelance content writer can help you craft regular blog content. But what if you have already built up a strong brand personality and tone of voice? Isn’t outsourcing such a brand-sensitive task, similar to dressing a friend in your clothes and asking them to pass as you at a party?

When selling ethical products online, it can be easy to jump straight into describing the sustainable materials they are made from, the low-impact processes used, or the fair practices you support. These are all fabulous features which make your product ethical, unique and perfect for the right kind of customer. But stopping there is a mistake if you really want to get more browsers clicking ‘add to cart’. Don’t worry – there is a simple but powerful copywriting technique which I’m going to share with you today: features and benefits.

It all begins with an idea.Which words or phrases do you use to communicate that your product is eco-friendly, ethical, or sustainable? See, I couldn’t pick just one word to use in that sentence – I had to use all three. And therein lies a problem.

It may seem like a trivial matter. A matter of preference perhaps. But there’s one reason why the adjective you chose could make a big difference to your bottom line. I think you know what I’m going to say: SEO.