Bill Gates said in the late 1980’s that, “content and information will drive sales on the internet in 10 years.” This has proven to be true. The reason is that information is what people need in order to make an informed buying decision. The more credible information they have, the better they can make a decision based on facts and feel confident in their decision.
Types Of Web Content
There are many different kinds of web content, but the two that you should be most concerned with are: website content and blog posts. You should consider both of these because they both serve individual purposes for your potential customers.
WEBSITE CONTENT – Website content is a direct copy that communicates your products, services, and assets of your company to the world. Website copy is the first thing people see when they land on your page. This is written as more “direct sales copy” and directly invites the customer to purchase, ask for more information, or sign up for a newsletter (leads generation). It talks about the strong points of your company and often poses a problem/solution scenario that helps the customer solve their problem with your product.
BLOG POSTS – Blog posts are different because they take a less formal and indirect approach to communicating with potential customers. Instead of direct sales copy and information about your business, a blog post is informational, educational, and expository in nature. It can be written by someone in your company but is often written as a guest post by other “regular” people who are telling their opinion about a product you offer or writing about topics of general interest to your visitors. Blog posts are most effective when they take a non-sales approach and offer free information to the reader.
The Role of Media
Media (primarily video) is highly instrumental in pushing blog posts to higher success rates by offering visitors a visual of the topic or product information that you present on your blog. By taking an integrated approach to media within your blog, posting YouTube videos and explain videos, you increase your chance of conversion within your blog by as much as 65%. Think about the last time you were shopping for a product and you went in search of a blog, forum, or YouTube video to find out more before buying. While the video is not essential to your web content or blog, it is a great addition and often drives more sales.
Length of Copy
Regarding the length of copy, website content can be as long as needed to get your message across. The purpose of web copy is to show the benefits of using your products or services, so write as much as needed in order to accomplish this, without boring the reader.
Regarding blog posts, an average post should consist of approximately 300-500 words, but this can vary, according to the topic.
The Importance of SEO
There are rumors that SEO is going out. But this is not true. Google stated recently that good quality content is the most important. But you should also write SEO copy with primary keywords for searches so that people will find your content more easily.
Post Often
The most successful blog posts create a minimum of one post per week, as this keeps them high in the search engines and also increases the level of audience engagement. People love a serial. Think about what drives the modern day “soap operas” and you’ll see why blogs have become so popular. If you offer users something fresh each week, a hot new topic, based on your customer service questions that your customers have asked about, or other issues, you will be amazed at how your traffic will increase.
The Heart of the Web
Remember, good web content is not only essential to e-commerce and the web. It is the HEART of the process. Information drives traffic. Traffic drives conversions and sales. And referrals result in “brand evangelists.” All of this happens naturally when you create engaging content, with carefully chosen keywords.
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If you would like us to help you find the right direction regarding this important web content for your site, please feel free to place your order. Remember, fresh, original content is essential to driving traffic and sales. We can show you how.