Have you ever written something for your website and thought it would be a hit, convert new customers on the spot, or help your company “go viral” - but, instead, it didn’t hit any of your benchmarks? This happens all the time, even to large marketing firms who specialize in creating winning content. What distinguishes a mediocre company from a great company is their ability to learn from their mistakes and apply these lessons learned to future work. So, if you have a low performing blog, webpage, white paper, press release - you name it -  then it is time to delve deeper into that content and see what you can learn. Marketing experts recommended doing a quarterly content audit to identify what worked, what didn’t work and brainstorm what you think will work. 

Check the wording. What you may have thought was an attention grabbing sentence or paragraph may have confused your reader. There are a host of reasons why digital content does not perform well, but most of it is tied back to the wording. Take the time to read the content out loud to quickly spot clunky sentences that could be weighing your content down. If you find your content is too long, try identifying those “filler” sentences that don’t add substance and delete them so your web content is more concise and to the point. Also, consider what phrases may be missing from your content. Perhaps your target audience uses certain phrases or identifies with a prominent celebrity. Find ways to incorporate as many “buzz words” that will make your content stand out and speak directly to your audience.

Consider the audience. Are you trying to get busy parents or working professionals to read your web content and engage with it? If so, then using shorter sentences, taking advantage of bullet points or using informative graphics may be the better way to go than long, drawn-out paragraphs. The key is to think about when your customer would be reading the content and tailor it to that specific moment in time. If they’re likely to be pulling your blog article up in between meetings, then making your content as easy to digest as possible is important. If you’re expecting prospective customers to enter in their information to download a white paper, then making the entry form as short as possible is best. You want your web content to fit seamlessly into their day - the more work they have to put into requesting information, reading a white paper or waiting for a download, the less likely your content will perform well.

Evaluate the format. With digital content the default has always been to use text. However, studies show that images and video content not only convey more information in a shorter timeframe, but they are more effective in drawing customers in. Look at your poor performing content and see if you can restructure it by adding a visually-appealing infographic or a short animated video. The quicker you can get a prospective customer to click and engage with your content the more likely you can expedite them through your marketing/sales funnel. If your target audience will be viewing your web content on a smartphone or tablet, then consider how these formats may influence how they interact with your content. Keep in mind that lengthy paragraphs of text may seem overwhelming when viewed on a mobile device, whereas a video frees up their need to scroll and read.

There is always something to learn from your content, whether it performs well or misses the mark. The key is to take the time to explore what may not have worked and think of ways that you can revise the content and make it more appealing to your target audience. If you’d like a comprehensive website audit to determine your best and worst performing web pages, contact the award-winning graphic and marketing specialists at Snowball Creative Group today.