A few months ago, I shared 5 signs that it’s time to redesign your website. But a redesign typically focuses on the aesthetics of a site – fonts and layout and pretty graphics and functional elements.
One thing that sometimes gets overlooked in a redesign is your content.
When was the last time you actually read the copy on your website?
(or the About section of your Facebook fanpage or your twitter and LinkedIn profiles)?
Is it in alignment with who you and your business are today?
Does it flow smoothly or has it been kludged together?
Those 5 pages of pure gold about you and your service offerings you penned back when you were frantically trying to get your site launched so you could be done with it already might come across as a little bit rusty now.
Do you even still offer all the programs you have listed on your services page?
Or you might find a long forgotten gem of a blog post that is still totally applicable today and can be used for some extended content marketing on your social media sites or in an email newsletter (that maybe you haven’t sent out for more than a few months).
Now is the perfect time to do a copy audit on your site.
You don’t need to wait until you’re in the midst of a site redesign (although you might find that freshening up your copy will make you want to do a redesign because there are so many more interesting ways to present content these days rather than just lots of words in a long column).
Plus, it’s actually a good thing if it’s been a while since you looked at it because that allows you to view it with fresh eyes, more like a site visitor would, and you can more easily get out of your own head and see what’s working and what just may not make sense anymore.
So as you read through your site, use these 7 tips to evaluate whether each page needs a little polish or maybe a complete rewrite:
- Try reading it out loud.
This is an old proofing tip from my high school newspaper days. You’ll hear it better if you’re actually hearing it rather than just being in your head. - Does each page serve a purpose?
- Is the content on each page focused on a single point?
- Do you have SEO keyword phrases that have been used on each page?
- Are you needy in your message?
Are you trying to touch pain points or are you trying to lift people up and show them the possibilities? - Do you have interesting stories you’re relaying?
- Does each page have a single Call to Action?
Is there one thing you want a visitor to do on that page – e.g., fill out your optin form, sign up for a content upgrade, contact you, purchase a product? Any more than one action for them to take can result in overwhelm and inaction on their part.
If you find your site needs some freshening up, whether it’s the copy or the design, let’s chat and see what we can create together.
