How to Evaluate A Content Writer

When you're looking for a professional writer to create the content for your business's website, there's a single factor that should be your primary consideration. While price, availability, scheduling, and other factors are important, there's just one factor that should make or break your decision: Results.

Your best guide to the performance of any writer you are considering is the past work of that writer. It's very easy to measure if the writer has a good list of complete websites he or she has written within the past year or two. By visiting one or more of those websites and carefully looking at the entire site, visiting multiple pages, you'll get a very good idea of the capabilities of the writer.

It sounds too simple to be true, doesn't it? It's not. Such an investigation into past projects is hard work for you, but finding a competent professional writer who understands all the factors that go into creating the complete content for a business website is a difficult task.

For example, look a the list of work samples on the left in this blog. They represent my work for the past year. For each of those links, I have written all the content on the site. The variety of businesses in that list is a demonstration of my flexibility in many business subject areas, and the actual content on the site represents my web content and marketing strategies and my skill at presenting those strategies. By looking carefully at a site that is similar in some way to your own business, you'll be able to judge every factor of the content, and will know whether I would be a suitable writer for your project.

Any content writer you're considering should be proud to present a list of past projects, linked so you can quickly assess the quality of his or her work. If such a list is not available, use caution, and insist on seeing recent complete website work samples in a field related to your business.

Only after a close look at real-life examples of a writer's work should discussions about scheduling and price begin. Without an assurance that the writer can produce effective website content, there's no point to those discussions. No other factor is as important in choosing a content writer.

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. Visit my Web Content Page for more information.

Unity & Continuity - Two Important Factors for Web Content

As I evaluate websites for small businesses, a flaw I often notice is that many of these sites were written by different people at different times. They lack unity and continuity. This presents a serious problem in retaining visitors and converting visits into leads and sales. Every business website should speak with a single voice. That's unity. In addition, every page on a business website should relate in some way to every other page. That's continuity.

On many websites, clicking a link to a different page often results in a jarring change of voice. The content reads differently and can seem unrelated to the content of the previous page. There's a break in the unity of the content. This can be confusing to the visitor, and is a common reason visitors leave your site. Confusing your potential customers is a very bad idea. It's much the same as handing a customer in your brick and mortar location off to a different salesperson without telling the second salesperson anything about the customer or what you've discussed. That lack of unity often kills a sale in real life and on your website.

Another problem that's related to unity is a lack of continuity on many business websites. When different writers create parts of your website, the relationship between one page and another can easily be lost. Not only do visitors see a new voice speaking, but they may not feel as though they're even on the same website. The first page may discuss a particular issue and use a particular marketing strategy. Then, when the visitor jumps to another page on the website, a different marketing strategy and voice suddenly appears. Again, the result is confusion and often results in the visitor making an abrupt exit.

Both unity and continuity are critical to success in retaining visitors and converting them into customers. The only way to achieve both is to have your entire website speak with the same voice and present a unified marketing strategy. If your website has both unity and continuity, your visitors are far more likely to visit multiple pages on your site and take action to contact you or to order products and services. It's that simple. To meet your goals of visitor retention and conversion, major site revisions should be done by a single writer or a content provider who can present a unified voice and carefully convey your marketing strategy across the entire site.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your website's content. I'll be happy to help you understand how expertly-written and effective content can provide the unity and continuity that effectively converts your visitors into leads and sales. Please see the links on the left sidebar of this page for samples of my web content writing.

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.

Is Your Web Site's Content Working For or Against You?

Once web site visitors show up on your home page, what happens next? Does your web site quickly draw them in then move them through your web site? Does it convert visitors into customers? In far too many cases, that conversion never happens. Instead, visitors arrive at the home page, find nothing that holds them there and moves them to other pages. They click the Back button and go to the next search engine result. Your site statistics can show you what visitors do when they get to your site.

No amount of search engine optimization can create paying customers on your site. Even a site that achieves a #1 position in search engine results will fall flat if it can't convert visitors into customers. What is the difference between a site that fails to convert and one that generates leads and sales? Content. It's just that simple.

If your web site content immediately grabs the visitors attention, teaches them something, and leads them to explore your site further, you're a winner. But, you get just a few seconds to accomplish that. It's absolutely essential that the content on your site is exciting, compelling, and designed to keep visitors on the site so you can make the sale.

Professional writers have known this for decades, especially those who have been successful in writing for consumer magazines. Creating compelling copy that pulls readers into the text is an art, and it's not one that's easily learned. It takes years of experience, along with strong talent, to generate the kind of writing that moves readers.

If your web site isn't generating leads and sales in the numbers you expect, it's probably the fault of your content. If your site statistics show that visitors leave the site from the home page, then it's almost certain that your content fails to hold visitors. If they don't stay, they can't be converted into customers.

Have your web site evaluated by a professional content provider. Most will do that job at no charge to you. You'll get a report of the evaluation and can consider how to change your site to be more effective at the tough job of converting visitors into 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. Visit my Web Content Page for more information.

What Are You Selling on Your Web Site?

One of the most common mistakes owner-written web sites make is to sell the wrong thing. Instead of selling their product or service, they're selling their business information. That trick never works. Current and potential customers come to your site for one reason, and one reason only: They're looking for a product or service.

That's your website's first job...selling them the product or service they are looking for. On too many websites, information about the business is the first thing customers see. That information is important, of course, but it must take second place to presenting your products or services and helping your site visitors to buy them from you.

You can spot sites that make this mistake easily. You'll see the word "We" on the site far more frequently than the word "You." Anytime you tell someone how good you are or how long you've been in business or what experts you have working for you, you're talking about the business, not the customer.

There's a place for this, of course, but it should never be the first thing a site visitor sees. Instead, your site should always be presenting the advantages of your products or services as the prime topic of conversation. How can this product or service enhance your customer's life or fill some need? That's the question the site visitor wants answered. If you answer this question, you'll win the customer. If you ignore it, they'll click the Back button and you'll have lost them.

So, when looking at your site, ask yourself if visitors can immediately see what you sell and why they should buy it. Does your site present the products or services to the customer immediately and show them the benefits of those products or services in their lives? Does your site answer questions they may have about your products or services in an easy-to-find way?

If you can't honestly answer "Yes" to these questions, then it's time to make some changes. Hiring a professional writer to present your products and services to your site visitors can make all the difference. You're an expert at your business. Professional writers are experts at helping your website sell products and services.

If you're not sure if your web site's content is speaking to your visitors, Email Me for a free evaluation. I'll be happy to help you create and revise content to target your audience.

Does Your Site Need a Content Cleaning Crew?

Your web site is your online store. Like a brick and mortar store, it has an exterior and interior design. Both are designed to present the contents of your store effectively to customers. But, it's what's inside either store that is your product, the very stuff you're selling.

If you go into a store to do some shopping, you might be attracted by its exterior design. When you go inside, though, if you find the shelves and merchandise badly displayed, shelved haphazardly, or it's dirty and worn out, you probably head for the Exit sign without lingering further.

The same concept applies to your web site. No matter how nice the design looks, if the content on your site is poorly-written, misspelled, and ungrammatical, your visitors are not going to linger. Instead, they'll head for the Back button and leave without really seeing what you have to offer.

All too often, web site content seems like an afterthought. The web site budget gets spent on fancy graphics, slick gadgets, and bandwidth-wasting images and videos. When it comes time to plug in the words that actually tell visitors what your business is about, there's no money left.

So, the web designer, business owner, or some college kid ends up writing the content for the site. That leaves the site badly organized and weakly written, just like the sloppy and dirty brick and mortar store that will soon be closing its doors.

Professionally-written content is the answer. Budget for it when you budget for website development. A professional writer can produce content that will make visitors want to stay and see what you're about, then convert them to paying customers.

People who write for a living understand the importance of dynamic, interesting content. They make their living producing it. If they aren't able to do that, they don't make a living and have to find something else to do.

If you're planning a new web site, don't forget the importance of effective content. Get in touch with a professional content writer at the earliest possible stage in development. Consult with him or her about how content can add power to your site, then contract with the professional to produce that content.

How effective is your current web site's content? If you don't know, you may not know why your site's not performing the way you expect. Have a pro look at your content and see if there aren't areas that need improvement. If you discover that your content is lacking in punch and coherence, it's time for a rewrite.

If you're not sure about the quality of your web site's content, you can Email Me for a free evaluation. I'll be happy to help you create and revise content to target your audience.

Content is King!

However your customers and potential customers find your web site, keeping them there for more than about 30 seconds depends on what they find. The content on your web site has to grab their attention and keep them reading or they'll click the "Back" button on their browser so fast it'll make your head spin.

Compelling, well-written content not only keeps visitors on your web site, but leads them through your site and converts them from browsers into customers. That's why Content is King...a saying you need to take to heart when creating, evaluating, or updating your site.

This is not a new concept. Before the internet became the default way for businesses to reach people, newspapers and magazines knew that what was on their pages determined their success. The best publications hired the best writers and paid them top rates. Why? Because seasoned, professional writers could produce the lively, informative content that kept the readers coming and buying the products and services advertised in the publications.

Your web site is no different. If your content informs and entertains, your visitors will become customers. It's just that simple. If the writing on your site is just so-so or worse, your visitors will just move on and you'll lose the opportunity to convert them to buyers.

Professional writers know how to motivate your visitors to stick around, learn something, and then explore your site further. That's the professional writer's business. Your business will thrive if you hire pros to create your site's content. Doing it yourself or copying unoriginal content from other sites just won't get it in today's ultra-competitive business climate.

Other factors are important, of course. Careful attention to search engine optimization and graphic design can lead visitors to your URL and get them to look at it. But, it's what your site says that keeps visitors there and leads them through your offerings.

How good is your web site's content? Is it converting visitors to customers? Are you happy with your site's performance? If you're not sure, have a professional writer evaluate your site. I'll be happy to do it at no charge and send you a report.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your web site content. I'll be happy to help you create and revise content to target your audience.

Your Web Site -- One Chance To Make A First Impression

In today's business climate, odds are that your web site is the first place potential customers encounter your business. The impression they get from your site is the most influential factor in their decision to do business with you or not. Think about how you feel when you visit a web site.

A huge part of that first impression is based on the content of the web site. If the site is poorly-written, full of spelling and grammatical errors, or just rambles on without giving you the information you need, you probably move on to the next business displayed in your Google search. Your potential customers do the same thing.

How many of your potential customers have just hit the Back button after visiting your Twin Cities site? You'll never know. They won't tell you. They just won't contact you or come to your business.

Every business web site needs content created by a professional. I'm George Campbell, and I've been a professional writer for over 25 years. My work has appeared in nationally recognized magazines since 1974, ranging from PC World and Computer Shopper to Family Handyman , Mechanix Illustrated,Mother Earth News and Western Outdoors. I've also written two books, one on outdoor project for Rodale Press and a book on WordPerfect.

I can create accurate, targeted, compelling content for your website. I work quickly, accurately, and in any style needed to match your needs. I have my own multi-faceted website, which I hope you'll visit to see the range of subjects I cover.

Email Me!

Who Is Reading Your Web Site or Blog?

When you're creating content for any web site or blog, one of the most important questions you need to ask is: Who will be reading this? The answer will determine many things that should influence your content. As a magazine writer, that was the first question I had for any publication that was new to me. Magazine publishers spend large sums of money trying to determine the demographics of their audience. Everything from age and education to income level and type of employment is considered by magazine publishers.

They use this information to attract advertisers, but also to tailor the editorial content of the magazine. The same principles apply to your web site. Identifying the characteristics of those who will be reading your web site or blog can help you or your content professional target your readers.

Scoring a Bullseye

If your web site or blog can hit the mark, it will neither talk down to your readers, nor talk over their heads. You know your customers, but knowing how to write for them is not so easy. Most people have a certain writing style, based on their own educational level, expertise in some area, and other factors. When they write, it's in a style that can be easily identified, but that may not be ideal for communicating with others.

For example, the owner of an automotive repair shop is an expert on automobiles. He knows the technical terms and jargon used in his business. His customers, on the other hand, are not experts. They may not know the terms the auto shop owner might use in writing content for his web site. Worse, the owner might not know how to put what he wants to say into a form that's easily understood by his customers and potential customers.

Similarly, people in the medical professions often speak and write using very precise terms, but can fail to communicate to patients and potential patiences in a way that's helpful. The doctor uses the word "abdomen," while the patient uses the word "stomach." Communication can be tough sometimes. Most businesses have their own jargons and technical terms. Translating them into language that can be understood by customers and clients is no easy task.

Common Stumbling Blocks

Here are some of the things that can cause a failure of communications:

• Jargon and technical terminology
• An overly academic writing style
• Writing that's too simplistic
• Poor organization and flow
• Faulty grammar and spelling
• Overly wordy writing

All of these, and other factors, can put your potential customers or clients on edge, often leading them to stop reading the content on your web site and look for the next site on their search results page.

Get The Professional Edge

Experienced professional writers know how to write for just about any audience. They have to if they want to be successful. Being able to analyze an audience, then write specifically for that audience is a craft learned only be experience. The longer a writer has worked, the better able he or she is to match style to the intended reader.

That's just one more reason that you should consider hiring a professional writer -- one with many years of experience -- to create or rewrite your web content. There's little room for error when you are trying to attract customers and clients to your business. Carefully-targeted content is an important key to this critical material.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your web site content. I'll be happy to help you create and revise content to target your audience. Visit my Twin Cities Writing and Editing Services site for more information.

Update Your Web Site or Blog Regularly

Keeping your web site or blog current is a must. Your business isn't static, and your online presence should reflect the ever-changing nature of your business. Just as you change other advertising to reflect seasonal offers and other changes, you should update your web site or blog on a frequent and regular basis.

Web sites should be updated at least once a month and blogs should be updated on a weekly basis at a minimum. These regular update times should be noted on the web site or blog, so that your customers can return regularly to see what's new.

Keep Them Coming

Even if there's nothing spectacular to announce, you can still keep customers coming back to visit your web site or blog. Try these tools to get regular customers visiting your pages on a regular basis:

• Weekly or monthly internet specials -- Offer a special sale or discount to your web visitors, and give them a code number or word to use to get the special. Not only will this keep customers visiting your blog, but it will let you track the effectiveness of your online presence.
• Biographical sketches of your employees -- These snapshot bios of your employees, complete with an on-the-job photo, familiarize your customers with the people they meet when doing business with you. Customers like having a connection with the people they see at your business.
• Customer Service articles -- Here, you get a chance to provide useful information to your customers. This information can lead to sales if linked to seasonal needs or new offerings.
• Business-related News -- On your blog, post news stories that apply to your business and explain how you can help customers take advantage of this news. Again, information that leads customers to your business is a great way to keep your site or blog current and informative.

Updates Benefit You in Many Ways

Regularly-updated web sites and blogs are noticed by the search engines, too. It's another way to keep your site at or near the top of search results. That's important for attracting new customers or clients to your site or blog.

Regular updates also let you fine-tune your web site or blog on a regular schedule. As the owner of a small business, you should visit and check your web offerings regularly, looking for errors and areas where the site or blog can be improved.

Finally, thinking about ways to keep your web presence lively and current can focus your attention on keeping the business itself fresh and full of new ideas. Nothing's more important in marketing than offering something new and improved to your clients and customers.

If you're thinking that you don't have time for all this, you may be right. That's another excellent reason to use the services of a web content professional to help you keep your web offerings fresh and always changing. It's economical and prudent to have someone handle the job who knows what keeps web sites and blogs attractive to your customers.

If you have questions about how you can keep attracting new and current customers to your site or blog, I'd be happy to discuss them with you. Email Me for a free site or blog evaluation, and I'll get right back to you with some ideas. In the meantime, please visit my Twin Cities Writing and Editing Services site for more information.

FAQ Pages Are A Must for Your Web Site

As a business owner, you hear the same questions over and over again from your customers. When prospective or current customers visit your web site, they have the same questions and more. You can improve the efficiency of both your web site and the rest of your business by letting your customers find the answers to those Frequently Asked Questions on one or more FAQ pages on your site.

FAQ pages are among the most popular pages on any web site. Everyone has questions, and those pages have the answers in an easily accessible form. A web site without at least one FAQ page is like a business without windows. They save your customer's time and yours too. They are powerful tools for converting potential customers to actual customers.

The Two Types of FAQ Pages

The first and most basic type of FAQ page is one that provides details about your business. It should include:

• Locations, with links to maps
• Hours of operation
• Owner's name
• Services offered
• Product lines available
• Brief business history
• Payment types accepted
• Other information about your business

Every business web site should have one of these basic FAQ pages.

The second type of FAQ page, and one that's especially useful to customers is an informative FAQ page containing common questions asked about the type of business you run. For example, an auto repair shop FAQ of this type would include questions about vehicle maintenance schedules, common problems with vehicles, etc. A dental office FAQ would cover common patient questions, like why a root canal procedure might be needed, what to do about tooth pain, etc. You get the idea.

Each question leads naturally to an opportunity to tell customers how you can help solve their problem and to link to appropriate content on your site, providing a direct pathway from the question to a sale. Answers to these questions are generally brief, and include relevant links to other areas of your site.

Lead Customers to FAQ Pages and FAQ Pages Will Lead Customers to Buy

Feature links to FAQ pages prominently on your site, wherever customers might have questions. They'll go to the FAQ pages, get their question answered, then follow links in the answers back to content on your site that sells them on patronizing your business.

This will also save time you now spend answering these common questions and let you focus on the real business of selling your goods and services. It's a winning strategy for any business web site.

Creating effective FAQ pages is something of an art. Identifying the questions to cover and supplying effective answers isn't as easy as it sounds. If you think your website could benefit from adding FAQ pages to your site, please visit my Web Content FAQ. FAQ pages are just one of the Web Content services I offer.

Should Your Blog Be about Your Business?

Many people think a business blog should be restricted to articles about that business. That's a real mistake. The place for information about your business should be your main web site. While information about the business is of interest to you, it's rarely that interesting to blog visitors. In fact, blogs that deal only with information about a particular business don't work very well at all.

Instead, make your blog somehow related to your business, but not about your business. For example, an auto repair business should blog about automotive topics, like the importance of regular maintenance or how to inspect tires for excessive wear. Blog entries that help your customers understand and enjoy their cars will attract people to your blog. They'll get the idea of visiting your business on their own, since you'll have links to your main web site prominently displayed.

Similarly, a dental office blog should be about understanding and caring for teeth, not about the specifics of that dental office. Again, that information belongs on the main web site. Articles about the importance of early dental care for chidren or informative articles about common dental concerns are the best blog topics for this type of business.

That's not to say that an occasional article about the business itself isn't in order. If you're having a special event or a change of address, an article about that is a good idea. But such articles should be well mixed with informative, entertaining articles about topics related generally to the type of business you operate.

At the end of each general blog entry, you can also include a short paragraph inviting readers to contact you for more information or to schedule an appointment related to the topic of the blog. These paragraphs should not be more than a sentence or two, and should contain links to your web site and email address.

Remember, you're aiming at a balance between informing and entertaining your blog visitors and putting them in touch with you. If you attract them to your blog by offering useful information, they'll naturally think of you when they want to shop or obtain related services. That's the way blogs work to help you build business.

Email Me to discuss how a blog can enhance your marketing strategy. There's no charge for an initial consultation. Visit my main site, O So Minnesota! to learn more and to see what else I'm up to.

Should You Host Your Own Business Blog?

If you're ready to start a blog for your own business, you're probably wondering whether you should host it yourself on your company's web site or use a third-party blog-hosting service. In almost all cases, it's better to host your blog on a dedicated blog host, like Google's Blogger.com service.

Hosting is free on Blogger.com, and there are several advantages to using that service. If you host on your own site, you or your custom blog service will have to coordinate with your company's web designer or webmaster. Since blogs require frequent updates, this can lead to excessive time spent on the blog by your designer or webmaster.

A hosting service like Blogger.com lets you or your custom blog service update the blog at any time without involving your web hosting personnel. It also lets you keep non-employees from accessing your web-site server. Even better, changes and corrections can be made almost instantly and new blog articles can appear without delay.

Naturally, you'll link to your external blog from your website. Best of all, your external blog will contain links to your business website and provide an additional way for customers to find your business. Blogger.com, as part of Google, includes your blog entries in their search engine, which gives you additional internet exposure. All in all, the benefits of external blog hosting far outweigh the costs of hosting on your own servers.

Email Me to discuss how a blog can enhance your marketing strategy. There's no charge for an initial consultation.

Don't Settle for Second-Hand Web Content

There are a number of services that claim to supply content for your web site or blog at bargain prices. You may find these services with a Google search for "web content" or something similar. The content is real, of course, but consider whether it's really a bargain.

In most cases, the content supplied by some of these services has been used on many web sites already. Sometimes it's been rewritten slightly, but the content is the same. "Content Mills" obtain the content from a variety of sources, some of them perfectly legal. But that content may have originated long ago and be out of date. Worse, your customers may have already seen the same material on another web site, even on a competitor's web site.

When you buy web site content from a professional web content writer, you can be sure that it's original, fresh, and tailored for your web site alone. It's a little more expensive, but the payoff in customer approval is more than worth the small additional cost. There's no substitute for custom content for your web site or blog. It makes your site stand out from the crowd, rather than blending in with the mass of other websites that are competing for your customers.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your blog or web site content. I'll make recommendations of how custom content can add new dimensions to your site.

Neatness, Spelling, & Grammar Really Do Count

I've been looking at a lot of small business web sites lately, and it's not pretty out there. Too many web sites, especially business web sites, are chock-full of spelling and grammar errors. That really bothers me, because a poorly-spelled, ungrammatical, incorrectly punctuated web site sends visitors scrambling for their browser's back button.

That's a shame, since a visitor who leaves your business's web site isn't likely to become a customer. While some people won't notice and others may not care, a sizable percentage of people who visit your web site are put off by sloppy writing, bad spelling, and poor grammar.

Think about it. Your website represents you and your business. You want your prospective customers to consider you professional, careful, and attentive to detail. You want them to know just how seriously you take them. Those attributes are what lead to customer loyalty and continued patronage.

Spell-Checking Isn't Enough

Just running your website content through a spelling checker won't cut it, either. There are too many words that are spelled correctly, but that are used incorrectly. Common examples of this type of error are the words "There," "Their," and "They're." Each means something different, but they all sound the same. "Its" and "It's" are another pair of words that are frequently misused, and spelling checkers won't tell you. Your web site visitors will see the errors, though, and you'll never know what they think.

Grammar Isn't Just for School

Not everyone is a grammar whiz, but most people don't like reading material that uses poor grammar. Even if they don't know why, they know that they don't like what they're reading. If your web site contains content that is ungrammatical, your customers will see your business as sloppy and careless. They won't tell you this; they'll just not come to your business.

Punctuation is Powerful

The same problem applies if your web content is badly punctuated. Misplaced or improper punctuation makes text hard to read and understand. Your goal is to inform your customers, not to confuse them.

Getting it Right

The solution for poorly-written web content begins when the content is prepared. If a professional content provider creates your content, you can rest assured that it will be correct. A professional will proofread your content multiple times, and correct any errors that exist.

If the content is already on your web site, the same professional can proofread and correct it quickly and for a reasonable price. Either way, you need a pro to do the job, unless you're a professional writer yourself.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your web site content. If it's in good shape, I'll let you know. If not, I can fix it for you at a reasonable price.

Is Your Twin Cities Business Web Site Stale?

For too many small businesses, web sites are an afterthought, neglected and out of date. That's a huge mistake. Your business web site is how new customers find you and should keep your old customers up-to-date on what's happening right now at your business.

I know...you don't have time to mess with your website. You have a business to run. Maybe you have lost contact with your web designer. That's no excuse. If your web site is stale, your business isn't getting all it can from internet-savvy customers.

Any business web-site should be:

• Up-to-date, with regular updates as your business changes.
• Current with sales, specials, and new services.
• Full of lively, well-written content that informs your new and old customers.

If your site doesn't meet these criteria, maybe it's time to freshen it up. If you don't have time to do this, consider hiring a web content expert to give your website the up-to-date punch it needs in this competitive economy.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your web site, and I'll help you figure out an economical plan to breathe new life into your web presence.