Who Should Provide Your Web Content?

When you're creating a website for your business, you usually think of contacting a web design company to do the job. That's a smart move, but is a web design company your best choice to create the content for your site? Often, it's not.

Designing a web site is a matter of graphic design, functionality, and technical issues. A great web designer, however, may not be a great writer. The content on your web site is as important as the design in bringing customers to your business. If it's not written by an experienced professional writer, the best visual design on the planet may not produce the results you need.

Talented writers are rare, but finding one who can translate your message into effective content for a website can be a tough job. When choosing a writer for your content, be sure to check samples of his or her work. Look at websites that have content created by your candidate. Would you patronize those businesses? Is the content compelling? Does it lead you to want to purchase products or services. If not, continue your search.

Great content helps make a well-designed site work. Check out the work sample links in the left sidebar of this blog. See how effective web content makes those sites work.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your web site's content. I'll be happy to help you understand how expertly-written and effective content can convert your visitors into leads and sales.

What's Your Website's Conversion Rate?

Conversion is the true measure of the effectiveness of your website and its content. Unless people who visit your site do something that converts them into leads and customers, your expensive website is not doing its job.

All too often, a visitor lands on your site, looks at your home page, then clicks the back button and selects another site to visit from the search results page. Search Engine Optimization is important, but conversion is even more important. Conversion is the job of your site's content. Here's what content should do:

• Grab the visitor's attention - Talk about the visitor, not yourself. Show each visitor that you understand his or her needs and interests.
• Educate the visitor - Every visitor to your site should learn something about the questions he or she has. Links to educational content are crucial.
• Keep the visitor on your site - The longer you hold a visitor's attention and keep each visitor cruising your site and reading your message, the better your chances are to convert that visitor into a customer.
• Don't send visitors away - Never include links on your site that send your visitor to another site, except on a specific links page. The visitor will leave and probably not return.
• Ask for the visitor's business - Every page on your site should include content that asks your visitor to contact you or visit your physical location. Use every contact method possible, from the telephone, physical location, and email forms.

Not all website content writers have the skills and expertise to put together content that meets these needs. You need a professional writer to create your web content - a writer that understands web marketing techniques and knows how to keep users on your website and convert them into customers.

Poor quality content does nothing to help your business. Misspelled words, poor grammar, and badly-organized content reflects badly on your business. Only the very best writing is acceptable in today's competitive business environment.

How well does your site convert users? Well, you can look at its traffic report. What percentage of visitors contact you? If you're shocked by the result, it could be your content that's driving customers away.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your web site's content. I'll be happy to help you understand how expertly-written and effective content can convert your visitors into leads and sales.

Web Content That Hurts Your Website

Web content isn't just words. It also includes all graphical and other elements on your site. While this blog is mostly about the textual content, there are a few other forms of content that are widely used that actually harm your website. Here are some of them and reasons why you should never include such content on your business site:

Animated Splash Screens

Many web designers sell customers animated splash screens that display when the visitor lands on your site. The next thing most visitors do when they encounter these screens is click the Back button. Visitors come to your website to learn about what you have to offer, not to be entertained. Splash screens always have a negative effect on your visitors. Kill them.

Automatic Sound and Music

Far too many websites greet visitors with some sort of sound or music that starts playing as soon as they arrive. Why would anyone do this? In the first place, many people who visit your site are browsing at their workplace. It's just a fact of life. Do you suppose they want it advertised that they're wool-gathering instead of working? Also, not everyone's taste in music is the same as yours. The music you like may annoy the heck out of a potential customer. Finally, many web visitors already have their own favorite music playing in the background. Automatic music on a web site is the internet equivalent of a guy driving down the street with his music booming out of his car. Don't you hate that? Silence your website.

Fairy Dust and Cursor Followers

Do you think these are cute and entertaining? They're not. They annoy most visitors and you don't want to annoy visitors. They leave and don't come back. Lose these silly toys.

Make your website informative and easy to navigate. Use your content to enhance your business, not drive away potential customers. Email Me for a free evaluation of your web site's content. I'll be happy to help understand how fresh content can convert your visitors into leads and sales.

Does Your Twin Cities Business Need a Blog?

Most Twin Cities businesses like yours already have a web site. That's a great thing, since it gives your customers and potential customers a place where they can find your business and learn about it. But, most small business web sites are static or are rarely changed. That means that most customers come to your site just once and never return. Even if you update your site once a month, that may not be enough to bring customers back to your site. Keeping your business in the minds of your existing customers is the very best way to keep them calling and coming in.

In today's internet marketing environment, the blog is the very best way to keep your website fresh and up-to-date. Lively, informative blog entries are the perfect way to bring customers to your site and to keep them interested in your business. Whether you have an auto repair shop, a restaurant, or a fishing guide service, a regularly-updated blog will keep your business web presence alive and current.

A business blog should incorporate:

• Updates on special offers, new features, and changes in your business.
• Seasonal articles that remind customers of your business, while informing and entertaining.
• Articles of interest to your customers about subjects related to your business.
• Search engine-friendly phrases and terms that bring new customers to your website and business.
• Regular updates on at least a weekly basis to keep customers returning to the blog.
• Clear, accurately-written articles that inform, entertain, and motivate readers.

I can help you set up a blog if you don't have one, and keep it updated on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. With 25 years of professional writing under my belt, you can be assured that your blog will be lively, accurate, and timely. It will always reflect the philosophy and style of your business. Your blog can be hosted on your own web site, or set up on a blog service with links to and from your web site.

Your time is valuable--too valuable to spend trying to maintain a blog. For a reasonable fee, I can handle those chores for you and help keep your internet presence fresh and active.

Email Me to discuss how a blog can enhance your marketing strategy. There's no charge for an initial consultation. See the links to the left for samples of my work.