There are tons of custom writing services out there offering virtually endless options for writing — how do you know when something is great or a bust before you spend any money? There are tons of ways to identify a dependable writing service and avoid low-quality companies; this is a comprehensive guide on what to look for the next time you need anything written professionally.
Price
Price is obviously going to be the biggest factor when choosing a company to write your content — while price may not be a clear indicator of a good or bad company, there are some things to watch out for.
For instance, if the price quoted is drastically lower than competitors, it may be a sign that either the company is new and desperate for clients (which in no way means it will deliver low-quality content) or that it hasn’t had a lot of great feedback and needs more clients to rebuild consumer trust — be wary of companies with absurdly lower prices than their competitors. If you do find one and are looking to save money, do some more research before fully committing.
On the other hand, it is important to be aware of copywriting companies that are charging a lot more than average for professional writing services. Yes, this may mean that they are simply a higher caliber of writing service, but often fantastic quality can be found at lower-cost writing services. You may simply be overpaying for great content that you can get elsewhere.
As you can see, price doesn’t necessarily indicate the reputation or quality of the writing service, but it is a great place to start and determine whether you want to explore a company further.
Services Offered
This is another area that is important in your service search, but won’t necessarily tell you if a company is reliable or not — there are fantastic writing services that specialize in a few areas as well as a broad range of custom writing services.
The company you choose depends entirely on what you need. Most companies offer the standard article writing, blog writing, press releases, Web content, and newsletters. Other companies (like BeezContent) offer custom writing jobs, which is a unique area that not many companies offer.
If your requirement doesn’t fit under one of the other service categories, you can submit a completely unique proposal, and usually have all the creative control during the entire process of the project. This is a fantastic way to get some really unique content for specific areas of your project — instead of struggling writing something that you can’t necessarily handle, custom writing services can be a fantastic option to get professional results.
What you need to be careful of are companies offering services that aren’t necessarily allowed — mainly any school work. If you see a company offering to write essays, theses or papers, or do any school work on a student’s behalf, it is not a legitimate company. No legitimate writing service offers to write essays for money, as it is a direct violation of academic integrity as well as a general rule in the writing world.
While it may be tempting to buy a paper from a writing service, it is not only certainly against any university’s code of ethics, it may also be illegal. Some states actually have laws against selling papers to others — a recent case in Massachusetts saw a lawyer fired from his job for offering to write law students’ papers for money.
There could also be major copyright infringement, as many of the companies selling papers don’t actually have the rights to sell the paper. The best advice is to avoid it all together — if you see a site that offers to write academic papers, move on to the next company on your list.
Clients and Reviews
This is the most telling on whether a company is reliable or not. A good company usually has a place to display its list of clients and is always proud to show the world who it has worked with. The clients don’t have to be internationally known in order for a company to be deemed reliable, but it is always a good sign if there is a clear area on the site or newsletter that displays past clients.
Another tactic that great companies use is simply putting testimonials on their website, whether on a separate page or scattered throughout the site. You’ll clearly want to hear about other satisfied customers before deciding on a company to write your content. Check to see if there is a comment section or a review page.
If there are no past clients or testimonials, it is not necessarily a bad sign, it may just mean that the company simply hasn’t put them on the site, which is a common oversight for some Web developers. Your next step would be to search the Internet for blogs and forums that know something about the company you’re interested in — there you’ll find reviews and comments from previous customers.
The Bottom Line
In the end, what really matters is what you need written and what you’re willing to pay for it. Simply deciding both of those will greatly narrow down your options for custom writing services. However, when looking through the remaining candidates, it may not be the best option to simply go for the lowest price. You have to do thorough research before committing to spending money on a professional writing service. Checking for services offered as well as detailed reviews from clients and customers are two great steps to finding the perfect copywriting company for your needs.
Don’t be taken advantage of by high prices and low quality. Also be aware of any dissatisfied customers or unclear information on the site. Avoid sites that sell academic papers and essays. By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll definitely be able to find the best company for your project.