In the past, once a marketing brochure or magazine had been written, printed and circulated the publisher was able to move on to the next project. But with the web, as long as the material is online it must always be considered as ‘work in progress’.
In an ideal world, the simplicity with which web text can be updated makes it possible to keep web content bang up-to-date. Customers can be kept abreast of the very latest product developments and thinking.
By examining website activity statistics and encouraging feedback it is even possible to measure the success of your web communication. Perhaps some product pages are attracting more traffic and interest than others – but can we establish why this is?
The root cause may be nothing to do with the products themselves but more a question of some pages are featuring ineffective headlines, weak copy, having confusing navigation links, poor layout or perhaps the site is handicapped by inadequate search facilities.
The statistics may also reveal unexpected niche audiences and new paths can be created to cater for their needs. This interest may even suggest the potential of launching a new product or marketing direction.
pay-per-click proof
The idea that someone can write and definitively publish several thousand words on a new website and achieve maximum impact first time is a naive one.
... my suggestion is simple - take nothing for granted and revisit that copy!
Anyone who has written ads for pay-per-click advertising, such as Google Adwords, will know that that tweaking copy can make a huge difference. One word can increase response rates fourfold. So why should website copy and headlines be any different?
Some marketers might respond: 'We have paid a good copywriter – surely they know what they are doing?' But writing perfect headlines, summary links and copy is not that easy.
Advertising copywriters are getting it both right and wrong all the time. If they possessed the magic bullet - they would all be leading David Beckham lifestyles by now!
It’s in recognition of the difficulty of this art that ad' agencies regularly use ‘copy testing’. It is something they have been doing for years. Website production teams really need to take a leaf out of their books.
So whether you are writing copy for pay-per-click advertising, websites or for email newsletters – my suggestion is simple - take nothing for granted and revisit that copy!