When it comes to content writing, there are all sorts of ways to be paid and charge clients. 
However, certain rates you charge two years ago don't have to stay the same now--especially now that you have gathered even more experience and have more to offer to your clients. But, making sure to have reasonable rates is also important because clients might just find a cheaper alternative, and there can be many on the Internet. So, how do you increase your website content writing rates without seeing your clientele disappear? Good question! Luckily, there are several ways to do so.
Expand to both hourly and per project rates
A very simple way to increase rates is to implement a system where you do both hourly and per project basis rates, depending on the type of work. Smaller projects can be upfront pay, whereas longer work can be negotiated for an hourly rate. There are freelancing hourly calculators out there, like this one from FreelanceSwitch, which can help to determine a good hourly pay even for a company.
Defining what is a "small" project and a bigger one is up to you, however. If that means a smaller project is 200 words, or only takes a few days, or whatever the case may be, you need to set those parameters and be able to keep it.
Restructure your services
Website content writing rates vary so much because every single writer or writing business is different in what they offer. In order to stand out and justify an increased rate, maybe it's time to pack a bigger punch with your services. Perhaps on top of website content writing, you can also offer SEO and social media consultation or even HTML and web design services that can be packaged along with the website content writing. And if you're bundling your services, then of course that means increasing your rates.
Be transparent with your services
Have you ever gone to a restaurant and saw something like a hamburger that cost $25.00, not 
including extras? Most of the time, seeing things like that leave us wondering: "It better be the best hamburger ever!" Or, "Why the heck is it so expensive?" One way to deter this is being transparent with your customers.
When raising your rates, be able to explain why you're charging more and show what you can offer to the client. Website content writing rates can range between $10 to $10,000, and finding that medium to stay in business should be a transparent process to your customer base. Otherwise, you will have a hamburger incident, and no one will want to try it.
Bill for consultation, commuting, or "off the clock" work
You're a business and you need to be able to work like one, which means billing for things such as consulting, commuting to client offices, or even working outside of your allotted business hours. While many content writing businesses offer free consultations, clients who request several are going to be abusing that and losing you time and money. By including fees for such things, you are able to regain some of that back without having to hike up your writing rates.
Your time is valuable and your business needs to be able to be paid what they're worth without the fear of customers leaving. The great thing about offering online services is that there will always be a client, no matter what!
What ways have you raised your website content writing rates? How was it handled?
