Should You Outsource Your Web Content?

Websites fail if they don’t feature interesting web content

This is why so many webmasters outsource, but this isn’t without its dangers, even though buying your web content is risky, you can still create a website your viewers will love if you learn outsourcing’s many drawbacks.

Finding An Author

Web content writers are easy to find; all it takes is a web search! But it’s hard to know who to hire since there are so many options. Usually, authors charge more per word as they gain more writing experience, but don’t let this distract you from results. If they can write the content your viewers love to read, hire them!

But working with freelancers is an investment, and unless you know what valuable content looks like, you could easily waste your time and money. Some businesses sell professional, error-free content, but authors write in many voices, and finding one that fits your niche is a challenge.

Of course, you could pursue freelancers directly, but you won’t always find someone willing to write for your site, especially if you need to publish a lot of content quickly.

While many successful webmasters use outsourced content, some write their own. Not dealing with invoices, communications, and other time sinks means they can spend more time improving their website and growing their popularity. Even better, they can work on their own time and don’t need to pay an author by word!

Theft

Many freelancers aren’t freelancers at all, but thieves. It’s easy to copy content and then resell it, and naive webmasters could unwittingly publish copyrighted material without the author’s permission.

Not only will this tank their search engine rankings, but it could even lead to legal action from advertisers and web hosts. Thankfully, some services (Copyscape) can check your copyrighted material —it’s well worth it to avoid one more hassle.

Awkward English

Knowing English and mastering it are two different things. If you don’t know how to recognize word flow and active voice, you could buy content that annoys and confuses your readers. This mistake is easy to make, especially if you aren’t a native speaker.

Just because your content is grammatically perfect doesn’t mean it won’t sound awkward! Before buying web content, or hiring a long-term writer, ask a fluent English speaker you trust for their opinion; just hide your surprise when they laugh at a goofy phrase!

Scheduling

People aren’t robots, and writers won’t always meet their deadlines. Always leave leeway for emergencies, illnesses, and technical problems. A dedicated writer will always reward your patience.

That doesn’t mean, though, that strict guidelines are a bad idea. Just make sure they are fair, and leave room for your writer’s personal life. If you become too impatient and pushy, remember that he’s helping you, and thank him for it!

Outsourcing your web content is a great way to fill your new web design with posts worth reading, but it isn’t without its challenges. Thankfully, by recognizing the dangers and treating your writers well, you can overcome them.