If your company had a great product to sell or an unrivalled service to offer, it’s understandable that you would be keen to shout about it. With the digital environment making it easier than ever to communicate with your potential customers, the channels open to you are manifold.
Time and again, however, we see companies producing website content which overwhelms consumers and gives a bad impression, simply by having too much to say or saying it in the wrong way. By following our six simple steps to content success, you can avoid common failings and ensure your visitors get the online experience they deserve.
1. Keep it simple
There is more than one page on your website for a reason. While it’s tempting to put all your messages and calls to action on your homepage, the appearance will undoubtedly suffer and will serve online to swamp consumers.
Have a clear structure in mind: what is each individual page trying to achieve? Are you presenting a product, outlining a service or promoting an offer? Do you want your reader to sign up for a newsletter or complete an enquiry form?
By keeping things simple, you let the reader know exactly what you’re offering and provide them with an easy way to engage or convert.
2. Less is more
We are the best company for cleaning services – EVER!!!
You might think that text decoration, hyperbole and dancing hamster gifs are the way to get people to engage, but you’d be wrong. Very wrong. We’ve already covered the negative effect of hubris in our ‘5 Content Marketing Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making’ article, but it cannot be reiterated enough. Don’t tell consumers you’re the best, tell them why your particular product or service meets their individual needs.
Furthermore, refrain from using capitals and exclamation marks – nobody likes to be shouted at. And you may think that bold and underlining emphasises your point, but really it just suggests that you probably write your email communications in crayon.
3. Linked up
There’s no call for stuffing your text with links, but inserting necessary and relevant links can be highly useful for visitors. It enables them to jump from one page to another without having to refer back to the top navigation or use a search feature, saves time, and leaves their train of thought intact. If a link is embedded within engaging content, your reader will be prompted to investigate further.
4. More than just text
It’s an easy mistake to make, but content doesn’t just mean copy. Be creative with how you present your website content. Use high-quality images and video, infographics and even games to enhance the experience of your users.
5. Forget about SEO
Content has become the focus for many marketers over the past year. Studious SEOs are having to change their game. Unfortunately, this means many of them have suddenly become content experts, having never paid much attention to writing before. Their content is full of keywords with infinite variations and reads like English is not their primary language. Search engines may love it – although perhaps for not much long – but consumers don’t.
Search engines do not buy products or services. People do. Your content should be aimed at those people; it should be fluid, engaging and assertive. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying leave out keywords altogether, but don’t let your copy revolve around them and be smart about where they’re included.
6. Ask for help
Maybe you think that it doesn’t matter what the content on your site says, or how it is presented. Maybe you think it’s worth spending all your money on a flashy design, but not worth paying for decent quality copywriting or images. And Dave from sales can knock you up a quick video, right? Wrong. No-one is going to take a site that has poor quality images, sloppy grammar or home videos seriously. A professional service means that any and all content you put onto your site conveys a strong message, incorporates your brand values and is, ultimately, engaging.
