4 Common Reasons Why Your Content Isn’t Working (And How To Fix It)
We’ve analyzed the fixes that we at grammative.com have suggested to over 50 websites in the past month. Here are the top 3 recurring content errors we’ve seen.
1. Benefits, not features
When our clients describe their products, it’s easy for them to fall into describing features. Your service may have the following FEATURES:
- 30% more efficient
- Use 256-bit AES encryption
- Your studio uses React-Native to build your apps
But describing this on your website is not very helpful or relatable — this means nothing to me as a user (or even as a developer — it doesn’t convince me, it’s just useful as a fact sheet!).
We translated these into BENEFITS for the user:
- 30% savings, passed on to you
- Industry-leading Security (256-bit AES encryption)
- Cross-platform apps (uses open-source React-Native by Facebook)
2. Tease, don’t explain
When describing your service, there’s often no need to go into much detail, otherwise you will lose the reader. Compare the two sentences below:
BEFORE:
Your mobile website is only the beginning of your digital requirements. The [Service] solution is a dynamic one, providing a holistic, progressive platform, addressing all the latest developments in Mobile.
AFTER:
[Service] provides a holistic, end-to-end solution for mobile development.
3. Mistranslations
Something we see a lot on websites, especially ones with founders whose first language is not English, is mistranslations. Below are some sample corrections:
4. Be specific
One of our clients, Electrade (electric vehicle insurance), had a tough time detailing specific benefits of their service. Take a look:
BEFORE
More affordable electric vehicle insurance.
Our take: this is somewhat generic, and doesn’t speak to the customer’s needs.
AFTER
30–40% more affordable electric vehicle insurance at the same coverage levels.
Our take: This is way more specific and convincing to the user. This change led to a 40% increase in conversions.
Want to improve your website copy too?
If you are interested in getting content feedback, check us out at grammative.com. We can’t wait to see what you’re working on!
