For a new website, the average client needs 5 – 7 pages with about 250 – 500 words per page; typically that runs between €1250 – €3500 (more words = more euros). The price includes writing in the client’s tone of voice with numerous rounds of edits. Proper English for a bank or law firm won’t necessarily deliver results for a start-up or FMCG.
For reviewing an existing website, the price depends. If it’s a few cosmetic touch-ups, like a revised bio or product description, the €50 hourly rate will do. If it’s extensive, like in excess of 2500 words (10+ pages), it’s going to require sitting down with a calculator and discussing needs.
What about elance and other online providers? The rates of decent proofreaders run about ,04 a word; copywriting ,065 and are usually capped at 12,000 words—acceptable rates for bots or individuals from low cost-of-living zones. If you’re a bootstrapping start-up, they may be your only option. The tone of voice, however, will likely be off and probably sound non-native.
One of my advantages–besides the same time zone–is cultural fluency (B-EU-USA). People often write “hard” when they mean strong, or when they ask for a plan of the city, they want a map, not a comprehensive list of urban growth policies. Cultural knowledge saves lots of emails, questions and corrections.
Whether you’re a start-up or Zuck, avoid paying the high-end $25,000-per-landing-page dude. That’s like paying £22,000 for a chocolate dessert with gold leaf. No cake is worth a secretary’s annual salary and neither is a landing page. Snappy writing and SEO optimization bring clicks and views, but ridiculous fees should be confined to a Vegas high roller suite.