Updated: November 13, 2008
Web Development Demands Content
Our Charlottesville web design and development clients often ask us why a pretty design is not sufficient to meet their web site goals.
This article explains why web content is important and also suggests where to find it. The article is written specifically for small business owners, although not-for-profit organizations can face similar web development and content development obstacles, so organization administrators also may find this article helpful.
The first objective for any business web site is to rank high enough in the search engines that prospective customers will find the site. Let's begin by examining how content affects search engine results.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
It is difficult to build traffic for your web site unless it appears high in the search results for phrases your target visitors are using when searching for your type of business or organization. For this reason, developing a search engine friendly web site is critical to establishing an effective online presence.
You may appreciate beautiful design, and visitors who can find your site may love it, but the search engines have no method to evaluate artistic presentation. Search engines read and index your text, period.
Original Copy, Please
If you remember only one idea from this article, remember this: To achieve high search engine rankings, publish original content on your web site. Google and Yahoo are not impressed with canned web sites that regurgitate content published elsewhere. Your site will be in a far better position to achieve impressive results for a keyword phrase if the search engines decide your site is contributing unique content, relevant to the search topic.
Conversions, Our Second Objective
What happens when prospects find your site? Do they stay long enough to take the next step towards becoming a customer?
The second element all effective web sites share is the ability to motivate visitors to take a desired action. The desired behavior will vary from one web site to the next, but generally speaking, this action is called a "conversion."
Great search results are essential, but reaching your web site goals will also require conversions. Accomplishing both objectives combines art and science and is a hallmark of effective, professionally developed web sites.
Finding Unique Content
Where do you find informative, original content for your site? If you own the business, the best content is already in your head. You are an expert in your field and THE expert on your business. After all, who knows more about your business than you do?
What can you talk about?
Plenty!
Begin by asking yourself what prospective customers will want to know about your business. What does your company do? What is your area of expertise? What sets you apart from your competition? Make a list of questions customers often ask and jot down your answers. Don't worry about the grammar, just write down or type your thoughts. If you take the time to do this, you will have plenty of valuable, raw material for your web site.
Want more content? Jot down ideas for some articles that would be of interest to your customers. "How to" articles are an excellent way to generate valuable content for your site. Your visitors will appreciate the information and so will the search engines!
Professional Copywriting
To achieve top search results, your content must impress the search engines. To achieve a high conversion rate, your content must be captivating enough to command visitors' attention, inspiring enough to gain their confidence, and motivating enough to compel them to take the desired action.
To meet all these requirements and accomplish these objectives, your copy will need to be crafted to appeal to your audience and to the search engines. Writing effective web site copy is a balancing act best performed by an accomplished web copywriter. Unless you or one of your staff members is a talented copywriter, preferably with experience in search engine optimization copywriting, your site will benefit by hiring a professional web writer for this part of the project.
Once your unique content has been professionally written and organized, design and programming will be applied to display the content attractively and accessibly to your visitors. I'll discuss these topics in a future article.
Need Web Copywriting Help?
For professional web copywriting and editing services tailored to meet your web site objectives, please call Nick Stone, today, in Greene County, Central Virginia at 434-284-2840.
