As a marketer, your primary responsibilities are to raise awareness of a brand and—ultimately—to have a positive impact on your company’s bottom line. Every piece of content you create—from the homepage of your website to your business cards and everything in between—contributes to your ability to drive the message of your brand. For the purposes of this article, let’s focus on the importance of website content as a way to directly reach your intended customer.
In today’s marketplace, consumers are likely to visit your website long before they set foot in a brick-and-mortar store or office. For that reason, you should think of your website as your storefront and treat it as such: The way it looks and the information it offers are your first opportunity to entice potential customers to spend their hard-earned money on your company’s goods or services. So what are the best ways to achieve success through your website content? Read on for a few tips on how to do just that.
The Importance of Web Hosting
If you have a website, you’ll also require a Web hosting plan. The less tech-savvy individual may choose a more comprehensive plan than someone more comfortable with technology. Regardless, it’s crucial to choose a reliable option appropriate to your needs. Do your research and choose the option that works best for you.
Site Organization
The layout and structure of your site are almost as important as what’s contained therein. If visitors can’t find the information they’re looking for, they’ll rapidly look elsewhere. For that reason, a bit of Web design know-how is crucial to your site’s success. Take a good look at your competitors’ sites and follow their lead without being derivative; your goal is for your own site to be a step above the competition.
Also, don’t overlook the importance of a site map. Creating one and submitting it to Google helps increase the visibility of every page on your site—not just the ones found during Google’s typical crawling procedures.
Clear and Concise Messaging
As for the actual content on your site, think of it as your first shot at a sales pitch. State clearly what your business offers to its customers and why they should choose your company over your competitors (without actually naming those competitors!).
It (almost) goes without saying that your content needs to be grammatically flawless and written in a readable, friendly tone of voice that maintains the spirit of your brand. Go over every word with a fine-tooth comb and then have at least two other (literate, smart) people do the same.
Call Visitors to Action
Every page of your site should make clear your call to action. Whether you’re looking to make an online sale or just to have a visitor fill out a form with her email address, that message should be made clear and driven home repeatedly. Take every opportunity to reiterate it.
Whether you’re producing a website for the first time or revamping an existing one, it’s important to devote some real thought and planning to its creation. With a little bit of extra effort, you can be sure to create a site that answers potential customers’ questions about your business and that ultimately leads directly to conversions.
