Hire a pro copywriter to audit your website now
I bet you could make a list. Your home. Your car (or pickup truck). Your retirement plan. Even your body.
You try to check on these important assets regularly. Annual audit, most likely.
And why do you do it? Well, you care about them. For possessions, you worked hard to earn enough money to acquire them. For your body, it’s highly important to be in tip-top shape.
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” Jim Rohn
You want these assets to last, to be effective, to help you get you where you want to go. Broken or worthless is no help to you.
Had a website checkup lately?
Because this is an article about marketing, I’ve got to ask you:
When’s the last time you’ve done a checkup on your website? And actually had a copywriting pro review it?
Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media Studios examined the top 200 marketing websites, according to Alexa, and determined the interval between major website redesigns for each site.
The average timeframe for a website redo was 2 years, 7 months.
If you’ve been in “set it and forget it” mode with your website for more than 3 years, now’s the time to do a website review.
Do this before a website review
First, you need to think about your business goals. Spell them out. Update the goals of your business. Make the goals clear. Then determine your marketing goals. Write them down.
Doing this homework will save so much time and effort later. Trust me. Decide where you want to land before you take off.
Once you’ve done the homework, then you can take the next step.
Look at your website with fresh eyes
How well does your website align with the goals of your business? Maybe you need to pause and reflect. What do you want your website to accomplish?
Do you think of your website as an online salesperson? Because it is.
“Think about it. A website should say everything about your business and promote all your current products, services, and pricing.
It should attract prospects and answer [any and] all questions they have about the company.” Anna Fitzgerald, HubSpot
Do you want your visitor to view a more consistent look across your site? If you’re interested in driving more traffic, you may need to start a blog. Perhaps your customers have commented about how your competitor’s website is easier to navigate than yours. All good reasons to update your website.
But whatever is prompting you to execute a website upgrade, consider enlisting the help of a copywriter to review your website. Here’s why:
Get value from your website dollars & cents
Your company has invested gobs of money on your website. Your little corner of the internet was a team effort. If you were responsible for the website launch, you know firsthand the work involved.
Getting contributions from every department. Working together at brainstorming, planning, customer interviews, designing, layout, and more. Having everyone agree on the main messaging. Decisions at every step. Multiple mini-projects taking place simultaneously to get it done.
Oh, the effort was worth it. Website launched. Since then, maintaining the website has been the focus. But too often, marketing managers get busy and the website languishes.
Improve the copy –> higher performing website
Marketers, let’s acknowledge the importance of copy.
“Without copy, people don’t buy anything online. They can’t.” Joanna Wiebe, Copyhackers
Another marketing expert weighs in:
“Good writing is … often the foundation of good content that gets noticed, no matter what form the content ultimately takes.” Ann Handley, Everybody Writes
And Ann also says,
“Words matter. Your words (what you say) and style (how you say it) are your most cherished (and, yet, undervalued) assets.” Ann Handley
Do you think web copy matters?
Web copy is the linchpin of your biggest marketing asset: your company’s website.
Do you believe it? If you do, partnering with a copywriter will improve your website’s return-on-investment.
Get an objective viewpoint of your web copy
A copywriter has years of experience writing for companies with the aim of only writing good copy. This intention allows the copywriter to please no one else but the person buying the product or service. A copywriter doesn’t evaluate their copy on whether the manager likes it or not. Not what the President thinks is good copy.
We wouldn’t delegate our car maintenance over to a person with little auto repair experience, right? So why expect a general writer to understand the ins and outs of web copy? Websites are labyrinthine.
So, yes, also get feedback from other web professionals outside the company, such as web designers and graphic designers. But don’t stop there.
Get an accurate diagnosis
Before you begin changing your website, you need to know what’s broken. Strong copywriters have a process to diagnose and cure what ails the copy.
A copywriter uses their trained eye and mind. She can detect what’s working and what’s not working. She relies on techniques, formulas, psychology, data, and smart business sense to design recommendations.
There’s no guess involved.
Overview of a website review
In a website review, the copywriter imagines she’s your ideal prospect. She examines the intricacies of the copy. Does the copy move the visitor from one line to the next? How does the copy flow? Clean and simple? Or messy and chaotic?
She scrutinizes the messaging hierarchy, headlines, subheads, body copy, and the calls-to-action. She rates the persuasion elements (testimonials, social proof, case studies, numbers).
Okay, you’re starting to understand the value of a copywriting pro. So your next question might be …
When do you do a website review?
- When you’ve never done one
- When you can’t remember the last time your company had one
- When your business goals change
- When your competitor has a new website
- When your website needs to be mobile-friendly
- When you’re planning to update or redesign your website
- When you have ambitious goals you want to achieve
Want to see a snippet of a review? View the insights captured after I reviewed three web pages of a website. Go to Website Quick Fix.
Typewriter photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Staircase photo by Shannan Seely
