5 Ways to Create Effective Website Content
5 Ways to Create Effective Website Content
1. "Clean" Information Layout.
Research indicates that the average web user only reads 20% of the content on any given web page. Here are a few ways to design your content so it captures the attention of your visitors:
* Descriptive headings - Let the reader know exactly what's on the web page by using headings that provide accurate descriptions of the content.
* Short paragraphs - present one topic or idea per paragraph to make it easier to scan through a web page.
* Bullet points - if some of your web pages present multiple facts within a single section, lay out the content in point form to make it easier for your visitors to "digest" the information.
* Bold text - use bolding or capitalization to draw attention to important words/phrases.
2. Concise Copy.
Avoid the urge to present every detail about your company, product or service. Approach your content from the perspective of your website visitor and (briefly) describe how you can help provide a solution to a problem they might have. When it comes to editing, a good rule of thumb is to take what you've written and cut the word count in half!
3. Simple Language.
One of the biggest problems with many websites is the amount of gobbledygook that is used. Please try to avoid the use of technical language, industry specific lingo and acronyms. Your visitors will appreciate (and pay attention to) straightforward descriptions of your company, products, services and solutions.
4. Keywords.
Take some time to research the keywords that are applicable to your product/service before writing or editing you website content. Keywords are the words or phrases web users type into search engines i.e Google, Yahoo!, etc to find information on the internet. Having the right keywords throughout your site's content will increase the likelihood of potential customers finding you online.
Google offers a great tool that will help you come up with keywords and provide you with search statistics (how many times the keyword was used in Google searches over a period of time).
5. Great Content.
Offering great content will make your website better - An obvious statement, but based on the content on many websites, easier said than done. It's important to understand the meaning of great content - it's not content you think is great, it's content your visitors will find exciting and useful.
* Write an article that solves a client's problem.
* Write an e-book that helps visitors learn something new.
* Start a blog to share your ideas - and invite people to comment.
* Publish a white-paper on a topic or trend that is important to your clients/prospects.
One last note - offer your content for FREE...making people jump through hoops and exchanging content for email addresses is not the best way to build your brand online. If you offer good content and goodwill, it will pay off in the long run.
5 Ways to Create Effective Website Content - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Smiciklas's Website.
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In order to retain the attention of prospects and clients visiting your small business website, the content you present needs to be organized, easy to read and search engine compatible. Writing for the web is different - online reading is not the same as reading from print. Web users, particularly those performing website searches, have limited attention spans - they tend to scan pages for specific information rather than reading every single word of content.
1. "Clean" Information Layout.
Research indicates that the average web user only reads 20% of the content on any given web page. Here are a few ways to design your content so it captures the attention of your visitors:
* Descriptive headings - Let the reader know exactly what's on the web page by using headings that provide accurate descriptions of the content.
* Short paragraphs - present one topic or idea per paragraph to make it easier to scan through a web page.
* Bullet points - if some of your web pages present multiple facts within a single section, lay out the content in point form to make it easier for your visitors to "digest" the information.
* Bold text - use bolding or capitalization to draw attention to important words/phrases.
2. Concise Copy.
Avoid the urge to present every detail about your company, product or service. Approach your content from the perspective of your website visitor and (briefly) describe how you can help provide a solution to a problem they might have. When it comes to editing, a good rule of thumb is to take what you've written and cut the word count in half!
3. Simple Language.
One of the biggest problems with many websites is the amount of gobbledygook that is used. Please try to avoid the use of technical language, industry specific lingo and acronyms. Your visitors will appreciate (and pay attention to) straightforward descriptions of your company, products, services and solutions.
4. Keywords.
Take some time to research the keywords that are applicable to your product/service before writing or editing you website content. Keywords are the words or phrases web users type into search engines i.e Google, Yahoo!, etc to find information on the internet. Having the right keywords throughout your site's content will increase the likelihood of potential customers finding you online.
Google offers a great tool that will help you come up with keywords and provide you with search statistics (how many times the keyword was used in Google searches over a period of time).
5. Great Content.
Offering great content will make your website better - An obvious statement, but based on the content on many websites, easier said than done. It's important to understand the meaning of great content - it's not content you think is great, it's content your visitors will find exciting and useful.
* Write an article that solves a client's problem.
* Write an e-book that helps visitors learn something new.
* Start a blog to share your ideas - and invite people to comment.
* Publish a white-paper on a topic or trend that is important to your clients/prospects.
One last note - offer your content for FREE...making people jump through hoops and exchanging content for email addresses is not the best way to build your brand online. If you offer good content and goodwill, it will pay off in the long run.
5 Ways to Create Effective Website Content - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Smiciklas's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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