Creating a website for my copywriting business is probably one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. (Yeah, well, I’m no Evel Knievel either…)
I’d been putting it off for so long and well, it feels rewarding now. It is definitely a work in progress but I did not want to stress out about making it look perfect from the get-go. There’ll be time for that.
Why a Website
I met this copywriter about two years ago. He was very nice and offered to get into a call with me to provide some guidance for my next steps on my copywriting business because I was at a stagnant point in my career.
One of the things he suggested was to create a WordPress site and start cold-emailing.
Behold the king of procrastination. Two years later, I am writing this blog post on my very own website. Proud moment!
Truthfully, this is not my first website. I actually have an education blog (mind you, I’m also an educator) that I abandoned like ten years ago. I wouldn’t suggest you go and visit, but if you do beware of the dust.
To be fair, many other experts would argue that “you don’t really need a website,” so lazy me would simply go with that.
But when you are on the dreaded famine side of your business, you realize you have to pivot. Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results has cost me lots of money. I want to think of today as the first day of the rest of my business.
So, why the name?
Picking the name for my domain did not come easy.
No, I am not the kind that dreamt with their own website since they were a little child and always knew. “When I grow up, I’m gonna have a website and it’s going to be “feedthemwithbeans.com.”
Nope, this was even harder than naming my children. Or not. I don’t remember.
Of course, I asked AI to help me with this, but as it usually happens with ChatGPT and me, I ignored everything it wrote. “C’mon Chat, you’re disappointing me, man.”
My eldest son (18) is moving to college to study Software Engineering. So, I asked him to help me build the website. He had zero experience (which is already a lot more than me. I think I rank about -4 or -5.) but took the project. He took it as a good opportunity to get his feet wet and to make a nice first addtion to his curriculum.
He’s a teen and getting him to do unpaid work was a feat in itself. I basically had to drag him to the office and negotiate the tems of the bribery.
Afte several days of inactivity, I called on him. “Dude, why aren’t you working on the website?”
“Dad, you need to rent a host and a domain. I’m waiting on you.”
“Oh right…”
So, I swiped that card and the time to choose the domain name had come.
After giving it a thought for a good…uhm…I’d say…5 seconds, I just said, “heartandcopy.com.” He’s a nice young man, so very politely asked me,
"Why 'heart' and what does that have anything to do with copywriting?"
I’ll show, not tell copywriting
Now, I’m an educator (and a dad) and I was not going to let this opportunity to school my son pass me by. Also, I was not going to go “sage on the stage” and lecture him. Instead, I showed him.
First, I appealed to his interest in software and gadgets, and whatnot, so I took him to Apple. And this showed up…
Need I say more..?
But I did (say more). So I appealed to his love for videogames and Playstation…
“Spectacular.” “Lightning Speed.” “Breathtaking…” Isn’t that talking to your heart? If you’re a gamer, you definitely “need” that “smooth gameplay.” Your heart knows it..
I rest my case
I’ve always thought of copy as written words between two hearts. The heart of the giver (the copywriter) and the heart of the recipient. This is what gives this interaction its humanity. And in the era of AI, this has strangely become pivotal.
I said to myself a couple of years ago, “Myself, when I start my agency one day, I’m going to call it ‘From heart to heart.'” In the end, that obviously did not stick. I mean, I still don’t have an agency.
TBH, I don’t exactly love the name (Heart & Copy), but I do believe it synthesizes what I want to achieve for my clients. Create copy with a soul. Copy that connects, delivers, and gets results.
Since you made it all the way here, let me show you the other example I showed my son. Xbox…
What do you think? Wouldn’t you say that telling a gamer that they’ll play more and wait less for loading times is speaking to their hearts?
I rest my case.
Thank you for coming and staying all the way here.
Please tell me, is there any other particular piece of copy you would have shown my son? Help me raise him well and let me know in the comments below. 👇