You can have a beautifully designed website with stunning photos, but if your site copy doesn’t capture the attention of your target audience, or of search engines, it won’t matter.
Having a clear, cohesive message — whether your goal is to entertain, educate, or both — is a key component to determining the success of your website.
But site copy isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it form of marketing.
As your business grows, it should evolve, and that includes the messaging on your website: the home page, your About page, even your contact page all offer opportunities to bring the right traffic, increase leads or sales, and rank higher in Google.
Here are 5 reasons why you should update your site copy.
Your business details have changed
This is a no-brainer. If you have a new name, address, set of hours, second location, or other pertinent details not listed on your site, you need to update your copy stat.
There’s too much copy
Fifteen years ago, most websites erred on the side of giving too much information. There was less competition, so site visitors could take more time reading essay-length product descriptions or thesis-length About pages.
Those times are no more.
In today’s highly competitive landscape, brevity is the name of the game — you need to be able to capture attention, appeal to a need, and provide a solution, fast.
Your demographic’s needs have changed
A great example of this is with marketing to the millennial generation. Ten years ago, marketing to millennials meant trying to reach that 24-28 age range — post college, maybe not-quite career settled, etc.
Fast forward, if you’ve managed to preserve brand loyalty to that same group, you may need to update the way you promote your products and services to them, now that marketing to millennials means career- or family-oriented folks (or both), nostalgia-driven mindset, and more.
If you’re aiming to still market to that original age group, however, you’ll need to update your communications in a way that speaks better to Gen Z’s interests.
Trending keywords or phrases have shifted
Hey, remember the ice bucket challenge? If not, give a quick search. This viral trend absolutely took off back in the early 2010s, across industries and generations. Today, it’s just a blip in some of our memories.
What goes up must come down, and that goes for trending keywords, as well. If your original site copy was written based on SEO-friendly search terms of years past, it’s time to revisit and revise.
Your services have grown or evolved
Let’s say you started out as a personal trainer, but over the years have also become a yoga instructor and started selling a line of supplements. Or, you were selling handmade soaps, but have now expanded your line to include hair care, lotions, candles, and other wellness accoutrements.
Expanding your business without updating your website is like saying it’s not important to you to sell those products or services.
For instance, I can tell people I’m a writer and leave it at that. But in fact, I’m a two-time published author, magazine feature journalist, and professional copywriter for businesses and artists for more than 10 years.
Why tell a fraction of the story, when there’s so much more to be shared?
How to get started today
Boost your SEO and domain authority, increase new site traffic, solidify trust with existing site visitors, and enhance your brand overall by updating your site copy.
Contact me for a free site copy audit, or — for those who already know they need the works — learn more about my Website Copywriting Package.
Melissa Esposito Writes 