There is much to consider when starting a new website or website renovation project: color scheme, page layout, functionality, design, navigation and graphic elements. Each of these are extremely essential to consider and plan out before beginning your project. But after the design elements are completed and approved, the real work begins. You’ve dressed up your internet commercial space, now its time to wow them with your impressive conversation skills. How do you start the conversation?
Content Marketing for your Website
Once you’ve visually captured your users’ attention with the visual elements, now you have to engage them with well-written and easy-to-read content. You just can’t be a pretty face that lacks quality conversation, so that’s where the value of content marketing really makes your website worth visiting and attracts new visitors through targeted keywords.
As much time as I spend in the design elements as a web designer, I spend as much time editing, rewriting, optimizing and laying out out the verbiage of the website. First I go through the provided content by the client, organize it into pages, and then subtopics relating to that page. I make sure the text is laid out in an easy-to-read fashion without run-on sentences, long paragraphs and redundant verbiage.
There are several ways to make the content more engaging. One way is adding quotes or statistics that reinforce the thoughts or opinions of my client, adding to the trust and credibility of your company’s claims. Also I use several images, graphics and infographics that correlate with the surrounding text on each page. Images not only break up long blocks of text but they go a long way to enhance the story, reiterate the subject, and make a lasting impression.
Another great tool is bulleted or numbered lists for instructions, list of services or products or facts and figures about your company or organization. Also, headings, subheadings and bold text highlight change of topic. Any tool that makes your text easily scannable by the user is a great way to help them find what they are looking for easily and quickly.
Content is King, so Optimize it!
Content is an integral part of your SEO (search engine optimization) strategy, as its an opportunity to provide a host of target keywords throughout your webpages in a way that is engaging to the audience but also hopefully captures the attention of search engines to index your page so that your target audience is finding your product or services. Since your content has higher priority then meta tags by the search engine crawlers, your should spend time on the following:
- Plan out which keywords are the best fit for your product/services, get the targeted hits, and are most popular in your specific demographic. Choose six to eight to focus on.
- Make sure you use those keywords in your content often but without sound redundant or risking “keyword-stuffing”, which is a black hat SEO strategy, and something you want to avoid.
- Write often through a blog, newsfeed, article resources … whatever you call it for your specific industry you want to post high quality, original content that will interest your target audience and give them a reason to return. Offer a blog subscription so when new content posts, they will receive an email notification.
- Optimize your content with keywords in your alt tags, image names, headings, subheadings, meta tags, title and description. Use SEO tools that give you the control over the content in your SERP snippet because that description in the snippet can often motivate the user to click on your website over your competitors.
Tell your Story … in your own Voice
“Content is King”
When putting up content for your website, whether you are writing it yourself or you’ve hired someone to write it for you, make sure its (1) original, (2) engaging, and (3) reflects your unique voice. You want to stand out among your competitors so make sure your content answers the following questions:
- What makes your company’s products and services better than your competitors?
- Who are you and what qualifications do you and your staff have? Why & when did you start your company?
- How are your products made to ensure the highest quality and how are you services provided with the highest customer satisfaction?
- What are your store hours, location, terms of sales and contact information?
- What are people saying about your products/services? Do you have company reviews and client testimonials?
- Do you have facts and figures or statistical data that show the benefits of your product?
- Can you teach your target audience the benefits of your product or services without the obvious sales pitch? Then that’s content marketing.
