How Much Does Website Copywriting Cost?
Are you wondering how much does website copywriting cost?
Or how much should you budget for a professional website copywriter and what are you really getting for that investment?
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what website copywriting should cost for your project and whether you’re getting good value or overpaying.
I’ll walk you through typical website copywriting rates, what drives the price up or down, and how to choose between doing it yourself or hiring a professional writer.
What a Website Copywriter Can Charge
Quick Answer: Professional copywriters typically charge $100 to $500+ per page, $0.10 to $1.00 per word, or $50 to $150 per hour. The rate depends on the writer’s experience, your industry, and how much research the project requires.
When you’re budgeting for a new website, copywriting is often the part people forget to plan for.
They focus on design and development, then realize someone needs to write the actual content.
The thing is, beautiful and functional design is important, but it’s the wording that turns visitors into leads and sales.
Nielsen Norman Group research found that rewriting a page for concision, scannability, and objective language improved measured usability by 124%.
Anyways, here’s what most copywriters charge, broken down by pricing model.
- Entry-level: $100 to $200 per page
- Mid-level: $200 to $350 per page
- Experienced: $350 to $500+ per page
A “page” usually means 500 to 1,500 words of finished wording. But this can vary wildly depending on your industry, competition and the goals for your site.
For a typical small business site with 8 to 10 pages, you’re looking at $1,600 to $4,000 total if you hire someone mid-level.
Some writers charge by the word instead of by the page. This is common for blog post writing or longer-form content.
The Editorial Freelancers Association’s 2026 rate chart puts business and marketing copy at 32¢ to $1.00 per word
- General site content: $0.10 to $0.25 per word
- SEO-focused copy: $0.25 to $0.50 per word
- Specialized or technical copy: $0.50 to $1.00+ per word
A 1,500-word page at $0.30 per word costs $450.
That’s middle-of-the-road pricing for decent quality wording that’s optimized for search engines and written for your specific audience.
Copywriting from a freelancer can sometimes be billed hourly, especially for complex projects where the scope isn’t clear upfront.
Typical hourly rates run $50 to $150 per hour.
I’ve seen this work well for ongoing projects, but for a straightforward site build, per-page or per-word pricing is usually better.
What Affects Website Copywriting Rates
Quick Answer: Copywriter rates vary based on the writer’s experience level, how complex your industry is, whether search optimization is included, the research required, how many revisions you need. And most importantly, the purpose of the content (e.g. Is it meant to sell or meant to educate?).
Not all copywriters will charge the same and that’s because not all copywriting is the same.
A copywriter who’s been doing this for 10 years charges more than a copywriter that is just starting out.
It’s about speed, strategy, and results.
An experienced copywriter knows how to structure messaging that converts visitors into customers.
If you’re a dentist, most copywriters can handle that.
If you’re a cybersecurity firm selling enterprise solutions, that’s a different story.
Technical or specialized industries require more research and expertise, which means higher rates.
Some writers just write.
Others write and optimize for search engines.
SEO-focused copywriting costs more because it requires keyword research, understanding search intent, and structuring content in ways that help your site rank. And it ultimately generates more visitors, leads and sales.
Here’s the thing to keep in mind. You are not paying a copywriter for words. You are paying for results that come from their experience, their research and the revisions that turn a rough draft into copy that sells. A cheap per-word rate hides this cost, since it does not account for the hours a good copywriter spends on research, editing and reworking.
Two people can quote you the same page count but the seasoned copywriter is worth more because of everything that happens before a single sentence is written. The difference in skill is the real reason copywriting rates swing so widely from one quote to the next.
DIY vs Hiring for Copywriting
Quick Answer: Writing your own copy saves money upfront but costs time and often results in weaker messaging. Hiring a professional copywriter costs $1,500 to $5,000+ for a full site, but usually delivers better results and frees you to focus on running your business.
You can write your own wording, hire someone, or do a mix of both.
Here’s how I’d think through that decision.
The smartest time to bring in a copywriter is before your design starts, not after. When a copywriter hands your designer finished pages, the layout gets built around your actual message instead of dummy text.
The design fits what you are trying to say and you avoid the painful scramble of forcing words into a template. Good copywriting done early saves you money and rework down the line, since the whole project is built on a clear message from day one, it will do a much better job of turning visitors into leads.
When DIY Copywriting Makes Sense for Your Project
If you are experienced in sales and educational writing, have the time and understand your customers well, you might handle it yourself.
The financial cost is zero, but you’ll spend 10 to 40 hours on a typical small business site.
I’ve worked with clients who wrote their own copy and did fine.
Usually, they’re good communicators who can step back and write for their audience instead of talking about themselves.
However, in almost every business client that we’ve worked with, we have found that businesses get more leads and sales if they delegate the writing to an expert.
In can be surprisingly difficult to write about yourself and your business.
When to Hire a Professional Freelance Copywriter
When should you hire a freelancer for your website copywriting?
Hire one if…
- If copywriting isn’t your strength.
- If you don’t have the time.
- If your website is critical to generating leads.
When you’re looking at how much a website costs overall, factor copywriting into that budget.
A beautifully designed site with weak copy won’t perform as well as a decent design with strong messaging.
When you do hire, ask what the copywriter includes beyond the pages themselves. The strongest packages bundle a discovery call, market research and a brand messaging guide, plus a set number of revision rounds.
A copywriter who interviews you and studies your competitors delivers better copy than one who works from a quick form.
So weigh the full deliverable, not the page count alone, because that is where the real value of copywriting shows up. Ask each copywriter to spell out exactly what is included. You will spot the difference between a bargain quote and a complete one fast.
What You Get for Different Copywriting Fees
Quick Answer: At low rates ($100-$200/page), expect basic content with minimal strategy. At mid-range ($200-$350/page), you get solid wording with search optimization and your brand voice. At premium rates ($350-$500+/page), you get strategic messaging, deep research, and conversion-focused wording.
Price isn’t everything, but it does correlate with what you receive.
Budget Tier ($100-$200/page)
At this level, you’re getting freelancer copywriters that can string sentences together correctly. The copy will be readable and grammatically sound, but it probably won’t be strategic. It won’t dig deep into your customer’s pain points or structure messaging around conversion. This tier works if you just need placeholder text or if you plan to revise it yourself later.
Mid-Range Tier ($200-$350/page)
You’re getting a competent copywriter who understands how to write, optimize for search engines and match your brand voice. The wording will be clear, benefit-focused and structured to guide visitors toward taking action.
Premium Tier ($350-$500+/page)
At the top end, you’re getting strategic thinking on top of great writing. These copywriters understand buyer psychology, competitive positioning, and how to craft messaging that differentiates you from everyone else in your space. They’ll interview you, research your competitors, and deliver web copy that’s tailored to your specific market. This investment makes sense if your site is your primary lead generation tool and you’re competing in a crowded market.
Day Rate Copywriter
One pricing model worth knowing about is the day rate, sometimes called a VIP day. Instead of billing per page, the copywriter blocks off a full day to produce your copy in one focused session. This works well when you are on a tight deadline or you would rather skip weeks of back and forth with a copywriter.
Rates for a copywriting day tend to run a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Many a copywriter reserves this option for clients whose voice they already know well and have usually already written for in the past. It is not right for every project, but it is a handy choice when speed matters more than a drawn-out process.
Sales Vs Educational Website Content
Quick Answer: Website pages, are sales pages focused on lead generation and typically cost $200 to $500+ per page. Blog post writing focuses on education, usually costing $150 to $400+ per post depending on length and depth.
These are different types of writing with different goals.
Website pages (homepage, services, about) are sales-focused with tight messaging and clear calls to action.
Blog posts are educational, longer, and optimized to rank for specific topics.
If you’re planning to publish regularly, understanding the benefits of blogging helps justify that ongoing investment.
How to Budget for Copywriting
Quick Answer: For a $10,000 site, plan $1,500 to $2,500 for copy. For a $20,000 site, budget $3,000 to $5,000.
When you’re planning a project, copywriting should be part of your initial budget, not an afterthought.
If your total site budget is $5,000 to $10,000, allocate $1,000 to $2,000 for content. For budgets over $10,000, plan for $2,500 to $5,000 in copywriting.
Understanding what affects web design costs helps you see how wording fits into the bigger picture.
How Much Does Website Copywriting Cost?
Quick Answer: For a small business site, expect to pay $2,000 to $4,000 for professional wording across 8 to 12 pages. That’s the sweet spot where you’re getting quality work without overpaying.
After working with tons of businesses on their websites, here’s what I’ve learned about pricing.
If someone quotes you $50 per page for copywriting, you’re getting what you pay for. The wording will be generic, probably templated, and unlikely to differentiate you from your competitors.
If someone quotes you $1,000 per page of copy for a straightforward service business, you’re probably overpaying unless they have a proven track record of writing copy that dramatically increases conversions.
The middle ground—$200 to $400 per page—is where most businesses find good value. You’re getting a skilled writer who understands copywriting, can match your voice, and knows how to structure content that moves people toward action.
If you’re still figuring out how to write website content, start here.
Even if you end up hiring someone, understanding what makes good wording helps you evaluate what you’re paying for.
What You Should Ask Before Hiring a Writer
Quick Answer: Before hiring a writer, ask about their experience in your industry, their process for understanding your brand, how many revisions are included, their turnaround time, and whether lead generation and search optimization are part of their services.
Key Questions for Vetting Copywriters
Not all copywriters are created equal. Here are the questions that help you separate the pros from the pretenders.
- Do you have experience in my industry? Industry knowledge shortens the learning curve and results in better wording faster.
- What’s your process for learning my brand and audience? Good writers ask questions. Great ones have a structured discovery process.
- How many rounds of revisions are included? Know this upfront so there are no surprises later.
- What’s your typical turnaround time? This matters if you’re on a tight timeline.
- Is SEO optimization and lead generation included or extra? Some writers include it, others charge separately.
- Can I see samples of your work? Always review their portfolio before committing.
These questions give you a clear picture of what you’re getting and help you compare writers on more than just price.
Get More High-Quality Local Leads
However you decide to spend, remember that good copy pays you back. Depending on what your services are worth, a single new client can recoup the entire cost of a copywriter in one booking. The math should make hiring a professional copywriter easier to justify, since strong copywriting is what turns a curious visitor into a paying customer.
Cheap copy costs you far more in the leads as it will fail to convert. When you compare the amount against what one good client is worth, a skilled copywriter should look like an investment instead of an expense.
Want our help with your website?
If you’re looking for a website that includes professional, SEO and lead generation copywriting from day one, we include website wording in every project because we’ve seen what happens when great design meets weak messaging.
It doesn’t get high-quality leads.