Far too many sales letters, web pages and other marketing material fail because the reader isn’t told what to do, what action to take, where to go or how to order what’s being sold.Imagine you read an advertisement for something you rea...read more...
I love fairs! Anywhere there's a bargain to be snagged, you'll find me rummaging through the boxes, tables and car-boots for undiscovered goodies. So, it was with great excitement that I received a flyer in the mail for a fair at a local college.At l...read more...
I phoned my girlfriend on Sunday night to see how she was after an operation. A strange male voice I didn't recognise answered with, "Hello?". I apologised, said I had the wrong number and hung up. I checked the number and redialled. Same response. S...read more...
You can keep in touch with Word Wizard through Twitter, Facebook, Skype and Linkedin.
Phone: 0800 WIZARD or email: contact page
The content of your website needs to be much, much more than the words which fill your main pages – home, about us, services etc.
Your website needs to be content or information rich so visitors can learn more about your chosen subject or topic. That’s because today people use the Internet to search for information. Once, they’d have used books for their research but now they expect to find everything they need online. And, if your website deals with the subject they want to know about, they expect to find it full of facts, figures and opinions.
This means websites can no longer merely be extended advertisements for your business. They must be mini encyclopaedias. Of course, most small business websites start out simple, but over time they need to morph into something much more comprehensive to successfully attract business.
Types of content
What kind of information-rich content can you put on your website? Blogs are the most obvious, although not necessarily the easiest. They need to be updated regularly but the payoff is higher ratings for your site. If your website doesn’t have a blog, ask your web designer about adding one.
If you have a news section, which as an industry leader you should, your press releases go here. These need to be optimised for the search engines by containing your keywords and keyword phrases. (A note here: as search engines become more sophisticated, browsers’ search queries are becoming more complex. No longer do they search using one or two words, they use phrases which your site needs to be optimised for.)
Articles are another method of enriching your website. These should be about a subset of your main subject; as people realise you know what you’re talking about, your reputation is enhanced. You can also place your articles on other major websites which then provide a link back to your site, another way to increase your search engine ratings.
If you have a newsletter (and you should), this could also be placed on your website. Because it will contain short articles on a variety of topics, this will provide greater opportunity for a variety of keywords.
Case studies, white papers, client advisories – all these key communication devices can be placed on your website to raise your profile.
What you stand to gain
As a member of BNI (Business Networking International), I subscribe to the theory that giving is good. Oddly, the more you give, the more you seem to gain. I don’t believe in hoarding information about my area of expertise; the more my clients know, the better business decisions they will make. And, indirectly, that’s good for me, too. So, don’t be miserly with your knowledge. Share what you can with whoever is interested in learning it. You may be surprised what you learn while doing so.
Having a website that is full of useful information will ensure higher search engine rankings as other sites link back to you. And being high up in the rankings means more visitors to your site, all of whom you have the opportunity to sell to.
How to get a content-rich website
First, cast around your current marketing materials for possibilities. Some will need to be edited, rewritten or optimised before they are placed on your site. But you will find all kinds of material that can be used.
Second, approach a copywriter to assist you. Copywriters can advise on what sort of material will best meet your needs and are adept at turning marketing documents into useful web material. If you wish to contact the Word Wizard about this, she would welcome your approach.