Website Audit service
Do you know how effective your website is?
Does your site actually lead to sales?
Is your site as good as you think it should be?
Perhaps you have created your own website, or maybe you paid someone to create the content for you, and you just want to know if it can be better.
I can audit your existing website, and provide a written report of content areas or features that can be improved, to make it a better visitor experience, and to help lead to sales. You get copy critique from a professional copywriter.
My focus is the written content, and whether or not it effectively does what it’s supposed to do. I also report on any needed improvements of a technical nature, graphic design, search engine optimization (SEO), or functional layout.
Fresh Eyes
There are plenty of clients who ask for an audit in spite of being or employing some very creative people to work on their website marketing, sometimes with their own large creative departments. Many times a site starts out really good, then stuff gets added over time, and the focus is lost. I provide that fresh view point.
There is never anything wrong with a fresh eyes look at any piece of marketing. An unbiased perspective is always valuable, either to confirm what you already suspect, or to alert you to deficiencies or oversights.
What to Expect
During an audit I will analyze the marketing effectiveness of the overall presentation of your site. You can expect me to start with a few questions about what you hope to achieve with the site’s various pages, and who your customers really are.
Then I drill down and report on tone, sentence structure, headlines, subheads, word selection, the use of links or buttons, and the look or feel of text versus photo/video/graphics. As a copywriter my first job is to recognize copy that produces a desired effect.
Yes, I will spell check your content (it is surprising how often spell check is an overlooked step for many sites). I know, it’s easy to get excited about posting new content, or to add a page on the fly, or to revise something that is outdated. These are areas that frequently miss a spell check of content.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is another area I consider and report on. Your content should be organic and relevant with a judicious use of keywords, not just stuffed with keywords. The search engine providers are the best they have ever been and continue to improve at how they rank relevant content.
Don’t let your website be penalized by a search engine for trying to game the system with poor or over-hyped optimization practices.
My audit report also advises on the general navigability of the site. If the site is clunky, unappealing, or hard to navigate, it won’t matter how good your copy is. The pages of your site need to work together to get conversions.
I look for broken hyperlinks, and test buttons. I check the hidden tags of photos and graphics for alt text and image titles.
A website audit should not be confused with writing content. Writing is a separate service altogether, distinct from an audit. An audit presupposes that you or your staff will implement my recommendations by writing more effective content based on my suggestions.
Audit Timeline
I will normally provide my audit report within 24 hours of commencing the audit, and will provide one re-audit after you have made the suggested changes to your site. Please check with me to schedule an audit.
Some websites need more work than others, either because they are a mess, or because they contain a great deal more content than is typical. In these cases, an audit may take longer than 24 hours to report back on. Rest assured that my quote for your website audit will always include a timeline for completing your audit.
If you would like to know where your website can work smarter to achieve your goals, please contact me to obtain a quote for a website audit.
Or you might like to know more about my other copywriter services.