Copy-check: is your website mom-proof?
Veertje Heemstra, owner of The Copy Club, wonders: is your website truly mommy-proof? An important question, because – she doesn’t know about yours - but her mother is her biggest fan. So, naturally, everything is amazing to her. A new photo? “Oh, how handsome.” A blog post? “You’re simply the best.”
What a blessing! But it could make Veertje a bit blind to the obvious. And that also applies to others. She states that many organizations have websites written for their biggest fan: the completely subjective reader that finds everything "amazing, impressive and fantastic."
Time to fix that!
Be Critical about your Copy
Veertje gives you a (loving) reality check: not all your website visitors are hooked immediately. In fact, they tend to be a bit skeptical, have a short attention span, and visit your site to get a quick, clear picture of you and your business. To nail those three aspects, you need to be critical about your copy.
Symptoms of a Website That Isn’t Mom-Proof:
Long blocks of text that no one reads (except your mom).
Information that isn’t structured, making readers having to search for answers. Ain’t nobody got time for that (except your mom).
A semi-autobiography about your life that doesn’t give anyone a clear picture of who you are (except your mom).
A non-existent personal writing style/tone of voice, leaving readers without a real sense of your business (except... well - you get it).
Go for the Quick Fix
Veertje stresses the importance of having the super-critical eye of a neutral reader: someone that doesn’t have maternal feelings towards you and that has a professional perspective. The process can be a bit painful, but trust us, your website will much better and convincing. Want to do a quick fix yourself? Here it is:
✔️ Check the length of your text blocks. Not sure if they’re too long? Then they probably are.
✔️ Does all the copy about you truly add to the image you want to project?
✔️ Is your writing style consistent across all pages (and in the menu/footer/small print)?
Good luck optimizing your copy!
p.s. Veertje showed her mom this blog…
“Oh, amazing work!”
Need some help? Visit www.thecopyclub.nl.