Is your website copy boring? Does it fall flat? Or perhaps your existing copy no longer fits your business?
You see, it isn’t enough to have content on each page. Your content needs to attract the right audience by accurately conveying what you offer and inspiring your audience to reach out. More importantly, the best-written websites are living, breathing beings that receive routine maintenance and updates.
This is where a website content audit comes in.
Why Should You Perform a Website Content Audit
When your ideal customer lands on your website, you have only a few seconds to make a lasting impression. Your copy plays a major role in getting your audience to stay and learrn more about the value you offer. If the copy is too lengthy, packed with jargon or lacks clarity, your audience won’t stick around.
A website content audit is an in-depth look at the content you currently have on your website. It looks at the words you use, the images you choose and the way each page is laid out. The audit checks for your brand voice and ensures your content was written with the ideal client in mind.
Problem Solving at Its Best
A website content audit is a problem-solving machine. With the audit, you can solve problems in your copy such as these:
- Lacking value: Your copy offers no value, thus making zero impact on your visitors.
- Not optimized: Rather than following Google’s Helpful Content Update, your website is keyword stuffed or doesn’t provide reliable, helpful content. This can result in poor search rankings and make it difficult to read, which leads to higher bounce rates.
- Missing an editor: Your content is chock full of grammar, spelling and mechanics mistakes, which can make you look unprofessional. It may also have fluency issues (expressing a message that’s easy for the audience to understand), which can alienate your audience.
Looking at each aspect of your content is the only way to spot problems otherwise hidden from you, but absolutely noticed by your audience.
What Makes “Good” Website Content?
If there’s one thing we could scream from the rooftops, it’s to keep your content audience-focused. You should always be speaking directly to them with clear messaging that considers their needs, goals, values and perspectives.
In order to accomplish this, evaluate whether your website content does the following:
- Provides concise information: Expect your audience to be skimming your website, which means you need to grab their attention with concise messaging. While you can incorporate your brand style and creativity, don’t drown the important messages in superfluous, bloated text. Give them the important messages they came looking for as quickly as possible, whether they’re trying to solve a problem, searching for information or seeking out a product or service they need.
- Is easy to understand: It’s tempting to fill your website content with elaborate messaging, but remember your audience didn’t come to your website to read a Tolstoy novel. They came to get answers, so clarity is key. Again, you can incorporate your brand’s voice and style, but simple, uncomplicated language is best.
- Says “you” a lot more than “we/I”: Does your content mostly talk about you and how great your business is? While your content should definitely highlight your awesomeness, it shouldn’t be the main focus. Your messaging needs to clearly state the benefits your provide to your audience so they’ll actually care about what you do and be curious to learn more.
Simple Changes to Make to Your Website Content Today
There are some problems with your content that you won’t find until you perform an audit. However, there are a few simple steps you can take today to improve your copy.
- Replace “they” with “you”: Great-performing copy speaks directly to your audience, instead of to a generic group. Using “you” is the best way to connect with your audience and help you build relationships with them.
- Look for offensive language: Although you should always aim to be conversational, it’s best to avoid grammatically incorrect and offensive language. Keep your audience’s feelings and values in mind as you look over your content.
- Read it out loud: Take a single page and read it out loud. Do you sound like a robot or a human being? Making your copy a bit more conversational is a difference that can truly make your content a success. Be especially careful if you’re using AI tools, and ensure your copy reflects your brand’s tone and voice.
- Check your readability stats: Short paragraphs and sentences are best for readability. You can use online tools such as HemingwayApp or Microsoft Word to check for passive voice and the grade level of your copy. Ideally, aim for a middle school reading level. Ensure your messaging is understandable, relatable and not brimming with complicated jargon.
Want Another Set of Eyes on Your Content? Reach Out to Us!
It can be really hard to ensure your copy is on the right track when you’re so close to it. Sometimes, you need a set of objective eyes from knowledgeable marketing writers to take your website content to the next level.
If you need an experienced team to perform a thorough, in-depth website content audit, we’re here to help. Access our 7-Point Website Content Checklist, a freebie cheat sheet for you to use on your own content. When you’re ready for us to peer into your website, give us a call today at 612-643-1824 or shoot us a quick message online.
