They say content is king. And, nowhere is this old adage more true than when it comes to the content on your business website.
It’s vital to have an online presence and it’s important that your website is aesthetically pleasing. But, if what you have to say on your site isn’t meaningful, useful and accurate, you’ll find users, and therefore potential customers, won’t stay for long. They certainly won’t stay for long enough to buy any of your products or services.
Here are just some of the reasons your content needs to hit the right spot…
Accuracy
Is your website completely accurate? Everything from the basic principles of spelling to the accurate information you provide to your customers, such as opening hours and delivery times needs to be considered. Even simple spelling errors can make a difference to visitors and how Google perceives your attention to detail. Potential clients may reconsider if you are sloppy enough to leave mistakes on your website – how can they trust you to take the time and care to look after their business needs? Anything which isn’t accurate and trustworthy has the potential to harm the reputation of your business.
Quality
Your content needs to be unique to you and contain your voice and not just a rehash of other opinions. Consider adding images, links, whitepapers and testimonials to web pages and blog content. Think about what makes your content different to your direct competitors and don’t aim to publish it across multiple sites, after all, you want to drive visitors into your own website. Write content for users experience first and consider search engines second, the aim is to engage users and keep them coming back, not just to rank well.
SEO
There are many ways to optimise your website for positive search engine ranking and visibility. One of the most influential ways is your content built into your website. Choosing the right keywords and creating a solid landing page structure is an important component of your website. When someone is searching for a particular product or service, they will type in a few words to describe what they want, so it’s important your content focuses on the customer ‘intent’ and is built around visitor requirements. Not only that, but Google is also now looking to reward those sites which are genuinely useful and providing the best possible experience for their audience. Gone are the days when spun content could be thrown into multiple sites. Now, content must be well written, unique and useful to make a real impact. Keywords are important but don’t jam your text so full of them that your writing becomes incomprehensible.
Usefulness
Think about what you might want to know if you were your own potential customer and make sure you include that information on your site. That way, you’ll stop your users from becoming disengaged and switching to a competitor. Even Google makes it simple saying your content needs to be valuable. If you own a restaurant, for example, could you include a copy of your latest menu? Potential diners will also want to know how to find you, how to book when you’re open and any nights that you have special offers. Consider an FAQ section and try and answer questions in advance and reduce customer service time. Its a fact that those visiting via mobile, in particular, will want quick and accurate answers to speed up their browsing time.
Interesting
It’s no good attracting a customer to your site on one occasion unless you are convinced of an instant purchase. Any successful business relies on repeat, loyal customers. Your website content can play a big part in attracting users back to your site time and time again. If you have the same old content each time they return, they’ll soon learn there is little point in coming back and this is one of the reasons so many sites operate a blog or news area so that visiting your site can become part of their daily/weekly routine. If you are a make-up artist, you could include video tutorials or if you run a travel agency, you could have a regular blog and images about the latest destination trends. Excellent blog content will also enhance your credibility as an expert in your field and is more likely to be shared by visitors on their own social media accounts.
Calls to action
You’re missing a trick if your website includes no calls to action. You’ve already attracted potential customers or clients to your site, so you need to make sure they take the action you would like, whether this is to sign up for your weekly newsletter, to take advantage of a special coupon to make a purchase, or to engage with your social media sites. Build your CTA’s into your page structure and content plan and monitor activity with Google Analytics or other tracking tools.
While it takes time and effort to maintain, your website is one of the most important methods you have to attract and retain customers, so it’s vital you make the most of it by filling it with well-written, genuinely useful and interesting content.
These are just a few of the reasons your content is more important than you think so take this moment to revisit your site and see if you are adding value to your user’s experience.
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