You may find that writing your own stuff is strictly out of the question for several reasons. So, where do you turn? A writer. People usually think that writers are glamourous folk who are doing much bigger things than creating articles about heating and cooling, or whatever your service entails. The truth is, decent writers (or people who can write better than you) are easily attainable and could cost you just $10 or $12 an hour. However, this may be different depending on experience, geographic location, or how well you sell. Many high school english honors students would gladly write you an article for relatively lost cost.
You may find that hiring a writer is something that interests you, for two reasons. First, you don’t have to do the work. Second, you won’t get blamed if the content doesn’t turn out well. If you work in a large corporation, or own one, you could convince a variety of people to write for you and even make them believe that it’s their job. Spread the word throughout the company and you may be surprised how many people have interest in publishing content for the website.
Let’s say you do find a writer who is willing to jot some content. Good for you! But, make sure to draw up some kind of contract detailing that the work is for hire and that you (or your company) reserve the right to the content. Otherwise, the person doing the writing legally has ownership of the content unless otherwise stated in the contract. Generally, work for hire on company time is understood to be the content of the company. However, you may want to ensure the process by having a signed contract, especially if you’re a small company who often has informal employment relationship practices.
Lastly, freelance sites have grown over the past years, allowing for many “writers” in other countries to offer affordable services. You should beware of these sites without disregarding their presence. For instance, say you find a writer in China that says he’ll do the articles for $5 a pop. If you’re not already wary, you should understand that the writing you might get won’t sound, um, quite right. Furthermore, this work is often downright dreadful. On the other hand, you may be able to find writers in other countries who are less costly and understand how to write English effectively.