The internet is essentially a word-driven medium, so it's vital to pay attention to your copy content if you want to create a site that is both impactful and truly usable. It matters how the different buttons on your website are arranged, for instance; but it matters just as much what names you give those buttons.
One of the most popular services Sticky Content offers is our copy audit. Drawing on our profound understanding of both the theory and the practice of how copy works best on the Web, we take a detailed look at your site from a core user's point of view and draw up a report analysing strengths, weaknesses and opportunities.
We will ask key questions of your site such as:
- Is the language of your site a true reflection of your brand values?
- Is the copy written, structured and presented to work optimally in an online environment?
- Is the language truly targeted at your users?
- What improvements could be made to improve the impact and comprehensibility of your site's language?
The report we compile will be packed with both concrete examples and practical suggestions as to where your site's content could usefully be improved. Often these refinements are not hugely costly or disruptive; they may simply involve repurposing your existing materials to make them work harder on the website for you. Recommendations might include:
- suggested editorial structures ('genres') which existing content may usefully be repurposed to fit
- training in Web writing and editing skills
- compiling language guidelines for use in implementing a consistent style and tone of voice, and for training teams internally
The business benefits of a copy audit are clear:
- Insight A dispassionate, expert analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your content from the viewpoint that matters most - your users'.
- Happier users Your copy has some very specific functions to perform, whether it's closing a sale, communicating a key message or explaining to a user what they need to do next. The greater the clarity and precision of your language, the more efficiently these tasks can be performed.
- Economies of time and resources The more efficiently your site works, the less time and resources need to be wasted in sorting out miscommunications or fielding user queries.
- Brand value Intelligent, consistent, compelling copy can only reflect positively on your target market's perception of your brand.
