Copy on the road to nowhere

My heart always sinks when I'm told I need to create 'filler' copy for a website. You know the kind of thing: the layout demands a few lines to sit above some panels, or a landing page needs to state the blindingly obvious because the site architecture is a little creaky.

Ask any usability or eye tracking expert, and they'll tell you that people only read copy that moves them on their journey or gives them the information they were looking for. So fluffy intro copy goes unloved and unread.

Which, although a little depressing for copywriters, isn't a problem in its own right. However, when you consider the value of the screen real estate - especially on home pages and landing pages - it's a criminal waste. Add in the complexities of persuading a customer to actually complete a task on your website, and filler copy becomes a real liability.

My advice is to cull copy which doesn't sell or inform. That might sound brutal, but the creeping tentacles of empty copy need to be hacked at and lopped until they submit.

Otherwise, you could be left with a wordy but underperforming website.