How To Evaluate Your Website’s Content
Creating compelling content is not easy whether it is for a B-B or B-C website, so before signing off on the content your agency or marketing department created, make sure that you do an objective review first. It does not matter if you are a professional writer yourself or not because the purpose is for you to identify what needs to be edited, not to redo any needed work yourself.
Criteria For Consideration
Good is a subjective term that requires some type of criteria to define what qualifies it in an impartial manner. If you do not already have the criteria for evaluating your website’s content, here is a shortlist for you to consider. It is by no means comprehensive or complete, but it is enough to get you started and help you determine if your website’s content requires further editing or is good enough to receive your sign-off.
1. P.O.V.
First and foremost, all content should be expressed from a buyer’s Point Of View so it is relevant, informative, and valuable to the target audience. Copy written from a buyer’s P.O.V. should be simple enough to be understood by buyers new to the industry, free of internal jargon, and full of benefits. A prerequisite to establishing a P.O.V is understanding your customers using a persona profile or similar tool which includes information on the needs and motivations of your target audience.
2. Story
The key to developing compelling website content is applying a tried-and-true technique journalists have relied on for decades – storytelling. Borrowing this tactic could help connect with readers and differentiate your website from your competitors. The reason being, storied content helps potential buyers visualize the benefits of your product, and better understand how your product helps them. While facts, figures, and specifications are essential in determining if your company can potentially fulfill a potential buyer’s requirements, these details are not enough to win their business. Even the driest of content needs a little narrative to give your description meaning, tell a story, and sell your product.
3. Hook
Does the copy have a hook to capture reader interest? The hook can be in the form of a visual, headline, or ideally a combination of both. “Man Bites Dog” is a classic example of a strong headline hook. Dogs frequently bite people. Flip the script, though, and suddenly you have a story. It is a different twist on a familiar subject. You are showing people something they have not seen before.
4. C-T-A
Whenever and wherever possible, provide a Call To Action to conclude an effort and initiate a next step. Different calls to actions can be used based on where website visitors are in their decision-making process. They can also be displayed subtlety as a link (e.g., Learn More) or a little more blatantly with a button or a small banner (e.g., Call Now!). The important thing to look for is CTAs throughout a website.
Why Content Needs Your Review
Content is often created by marketers and subject matter experts that lack copywriting expertise. Even when content is created by SEO agencies, it could be technically correct, by not fit for human consumption. This is especially true when an SEO agency force fits keyword phrases on behalf of search engines instead of potential buyers. In both instances, your website’s copy will feel a little more mechanical than personal.
A website’s content is ready to launch when it attracts attention, answers questions, and moves potential buyers one step closer to a purchase.