What should a website refresh actually include?

“Just send me your words and I’ll drop them into the new pages.”

Five words said by your website developer when building your website. Sounds like the hard part is on their side, doesn’t it?

It’s not.

The words are the hard part. At least for anyone who wants enquiries from their website.

Writing copy that makes sense to Google, speaks to the right people, and actually convinces someone to get in touch - that’s not a five-minute job. That’s the whole job.

But when a developer “drops it in,” that’s exactly what happens. It goes in. As written. Unseen. Unquestioned. Whether your headline would make someone stop or scroll straight past. Whether your about page is actually about them or just about you. Whether Google has any idea what you do.

So you wrote something. You did your best. You sent it over. And they dropped it in.

And now you have a website that looks professional and does... not very much.

You’re not imagining it. And it’s not your fault. Nobody told you the words needed to work this hard.

What “working” copy actually looks like

There’s a difference between words that describe your business and words that convert visitors into enquiries.

Describing looks like: “I offer a range of holistic therapies including massage, reflexology, and reiki.”

Converting looks like: “Struggling to switch off? An hour with me and you’ll leave feeling like a different person.”

Both are accurate. Only one makes someone think yes, that’s exactly what I need.

The same goes for SEO. Google doesn’t just index your site and magically know what you do. It reads your headings, your page titles, your meta descriptions, your alt text. If those aren’t using the words your ideal clients are actually searching for, you’re invisible. Not because your site is broken - because the words aren’t doing their job.

What I do differently

When a marketer works on a website - whether that’s a full build or a refresh - they read your content. Properly.

They’ll tell you if your homepage headline is too vague to attract the right people. They’ll flag if your services page is a list of features when it should be talking about outcomes. They’ll point out where you’ve buried your call to action three scrolls down when it should be front and centre.

You still write your own content - they are not a copywriter and I don’t pretend to be. But you get specific, practical feedback from someone with years of marketing experience, not just someone who can make it look nice on screen.

That’s the difference between a website that’s live and a website that works.

The missing marketing layer

This is what I mean when I talk about the marketing layer most websites are missing. It’s not about the design. It’s not even just about the technical SEO setup, though that matters too. It’s about whether the words on your site are doing the job they need to do.

A web designer who “drops your words in” isn’t doing anything wrong. That’s just not their expertise. But if you want a website that actually brings in enquiries - rather than just existing on the internet - you need someone who’s thinking about the marketing as well as the build.

Ps. That’s what I do.

Website Refresh & SEO Boost from £690. Website Build from £950. Both available on Wix, Squarespace and Shopify.

If you’re not sure which is the right fit, drop me a message and we’ll figure it out together.