Is old copy dragging my new website down?

After a Visit to Your New Website, What Makes People Care?

What do you do when you've just spent a bunch of time and money redesigning your whole web experience, paid money to direct traffic to it, and then ... nothing? No one calls, clicks, shares, sticks around, signs up, or buys?  

I'm hearing that question a lot from companies who got great design but did not invest in content strategy. The good news is, it's not too late.

A Real-Life, Down-and-Dirty Content Analysis

After a on-the-spot content analysis of five sites, including health tech, fitness SaaS, mortgage broker, equipment repair, and niche electronic e-commerce sites, here's a distillation of observations. Do they apply to you, too?

1. Why believe? The first site I reviewed had all the features and benefits tied up with a bow, but the audience had no compelling reasons to sign up NOW. Give them some great reasons to believe in you and to take action immediately.
2. What happens next? Another site had a great user experience, but once you hit the sign up, the form seemed daunting. Why? Because it was hard to tell what happens after you hit "submit."
3. Is the content connected to the call to action? I was really impressed by the value and volume of content one site featured. I could learn new things all day. But there was no draw to click the call to action, because it wasn't in context with the content.
4. Are there too many choices? One site had such a niche audience that it took me a second to understand what they were selling or why. Then the choices were so overwhelming, it was difficult to know what was most important or where to start. Prioritizing content by audience type or user experience level (beginner, advanced) -- and not just product category -- might help. Consider A/B testing to reveal the best experience.
5. Is it over-explained? Here's something you know already -- people don't read every word. Especially online. They scan. This last site had clear delineation about where to go, but once I got there, went on and on. No good. Especially on a smartphone. Be brutal. Cut to the essence and give paths to more.

Need some help getting people engaged with your web experience? Let's set up a call. I'm happy to provide an outside content strategy perspective.  

‍