The VISIONS, Inc. website copy is 6 years old. At the time the website copy was created, websites had far more words and far fewer tag lines, photos, video and social media links. VISIONS is eager to upgrade our website so it is current, vibrant and succinct.

The words on our current website are quite accurate to describe our business. However, there are 3-4 x too many given the average visitors time spent on our site (2-3 minutes on our latest Google Analytics report).

We are seeking a professional writer who can take us from what one donor said is our current website that reads “like a grant proposal” to one that reads like a captivating short story or something one could skim and capture enough feel and content to want to learn more.

This will be a good and challenging project for us and the volunteer because we are an organization with a highly developed and sophisticated theory and approach to creating change. We use many words, carefully chosen, in order to demonstrate the depth of our work and reassure our audience that we are not “diversity light”. We want to retain this outcome for the reader and believe it can be done in far fewer words.

Assets we have to offer the volunteer are a) strong desire to make the website language better, b) a team of 4-5 volunteers who are willing to work on sections if given guidance on how to trim them down, or who can give feedback c) a knowledge throughout the organization that in order to engage people in our model we need to use language that places us out front, d) some Brand Messaging research done a few years ago, and e) copy from a prior brochure that will be an added resource.

Let’s face it. The first place we go when we hear about anything – a nonprofit, a movie, a restaurant – is the website. Make sure your first point of entry for a prospective supporter is also a good read. A well-written website not only educates, it persuades and even calls to action. Work with one of our Professionals so that yours does too!

Please Note: Copywriting professionals are not expected to have graphic design skills. Organizations requiring web design should consider a Catchafire Web Design Project or use their own resources.

Professional

• Excellent writing and communications expertise.
• Ability to synthesize complex information.
• Familiarity with SEO.
• Sample writing that you can share with an organization.

Organization

• A live website or website currently under construction.
• A Brand Messaging Brief and, if available, a communications plan.
• Some advance work completed on the project including a content strategy for the site with pages mapped out.
• Existing copy about Organization including services, programs and audience.