Your writing team has polished and perfected your website copy. Your development team has resolved the backend bugs, resulting in flawless page performance. The design team translated your brand and vision into a beautiful user interface. So you’re ready to hit publish, right?
Not so fast. Before your website goes live, there’s still one essential task to accomplish: a pre-launch website audit. If you’re updating an existing website, you might be familiar with the term; many copywriters and marketers, including us at MarketSmiths, use website audits to determine which pages on a website need updates. But whether you’re refurbishing a website or launching a new one, carving time out after completion for a final audit allows for the best possible product. Let’s explore why.
Catch errors with a pre-launch audit
Most copywriters draft website copy in a Word document or Google document before handing the files over to a web designer or developer. The designers and developers then copy and paste the copy from the documents into their layouts. Like most manual processes, this act of copying and pasting invites potential errors. Missing periods and forgotten words can easily slip by unless your writers have had a chance to painstakingly review each completed page.
By scheduling a website audit before you launch, you give writers a chance to catch these simple but crucial mistakes. For instance, in the process of placing content into layout, your web designers and developers may have changed header capitalization, subheader capitalization, and button text according to what they think looks best—or simply because they overlooked the formatting on the copy documents. When your copywriting team reviews, they can make sure the capitalization style matches your brand and that there’s consistency across the website.
Ensure your message shines
Your website copy might seem perfect in the document, but once it’s in design, your team might find opportunities to elevate it even further. Perhaps a section of text now seems too short, leaving too much dead space. Maybe a header is too long, spilling awkwardly onto the next line. A pre-launch audit gives your copywriters the chance to tie up these loose ends before your website is finalized.
It also provides a chance to ensure the copy is working in conjunction with design to create a clear story and journey for your reader. Based on your website’s flow, can the visitor easily find the information they’re looking for—and understand your brand and value proposition? Are your services and products clear and persuasive? Focusing on the high-level aspect of your website, not just the details, is essential to keeping visitors engaged and on your website.
Optimize for SEO
A pre-launch audit provides a final opportunity to weave your SEO strategy into the website before it goes live. Of course, optimizing your website will be a perpetual, ongoing process, but now is an excellent time to make any last minute adjustments. You might consider the link structure of each page or how quickly each one loads, which your developers can fine tune before launch.
Mobile-responsiveness is another important consideration for SEO. In addition to reviewing your website’s desktop layout, your team should take a moment to review mobile formatting. Beyond being essential for SEO, mobile design can dramatically alter the appearance of copy and content on the page, requiring a close eye and careful review.
Placing the finishing touches
In the same way you tidy the house before company, it’s important to clean up your website before launch to make the best first (and second and third) impression. Whether you need help writing or revamping your website, MarketSmiths can help. Get in touch.
