Relevant, valuable website content is the only reason your target audience want to visit your website.
They should be one-of-a-kind content composed of any combination of texts, graphics, images and videos that address their concerns.
Your great content may drive qualified visitors from search engines to your website. But it only happens when they find your web pages on the first page of search results.
Because the search engines only list great web pages on the first page, you will want to create content based on your understanding about the keywords they type in and their intentions.
But that’s not all. Creating content is only an element of overall processes of content creation, publishing and distribution for acquiring and retaining customers, called content marketing.
For that reason, you’ll want to create content that supports your customer-centric strategy.
What is Website Content?
Website content is all forms of textual and audio-visual information published in the form of web pages. There might be other forms of content that don’t fit this definition but for business purposes it represents most business website content.
The homepage is one of the important pages where a clear message works with a great design to impress prospective customers.
A great first impression about graphics and use of language entice a visitor to browse a website and look around.
But other pages with informational articles and entertaining videos can also boost the website’s effectiveness when they can fulfill their specific purposes.
The Importance of Website Content for Your Business
Let me repeat the opening paragraph: Relevant and valuable content is the only reason your target audience want to visit your website. It’s your first point of contact with prospects before they can learn more about you and your business.
Here are several more reasons that support that argument:
1. An affordable way to create exposure for your business. Search engine traffic, repeat visitors, links, word-of-mouth and even traditional media coverage are some of the benefits you can get.
2. Establish your expertise in your market. Whether it is about your knowledge of a subject or your unique approach to a specific issue, you want your prospects are aware what you have in hand.
3. Build relationships with prospects and customers. Free blog content, such as tips and tutorials, is good for communicating with your prospects. Delivering excellent paid content, however, make first-time buyers become repeat customers.
4. Well-crafted content “pre-sell” the products you sell. Consumers only buy products from merchants they trust. If you address their concerns at every stage of buying cycle with your content chances are they’re starting to trust you and, in turn, want to buy from you.
5. Content is they way to build your brand online. Unlike established brands, visitors come to your site without knowing who you are. If the prospects discover your content is great, they are more like likely to trust you and want to be your customers.
Business Website Content Structure and Template
Online consumers are impatient. Your chance to get their attentions is only a few seconds. For that reason, your content structure should have a clear purpose and is easy to read.
It starts with an attractive headline and follows by an inverted pyramid structure with a conclusion in the first paragraph. Compose your content with an active-voice, conversational style and in an easy to understand language.
Here is a generic template that you can customize for your own needs:
1. Headline.
A headline that attracts targeted readers to read the first paragraph is what you want to write. To do so, decipher the intentions of the target audience when typing in keywords on search engines and then answer it on your headline.
2. Sub-headline.
Your sub-headline is a sub-topic breakdown of your headline’s topic. It helps your visitors scan your content and read only parts that they consider important.
Using the same approach, it’s also good for you to write easy-to-consume articles by using lists.
3. Call to action.
Call to action is the next action you want your readers take after they read your article. If you want your visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or buy your product make sure you put a button, a link or a form for them to do so.
As website content works together with website design, make sure you add any audiovisual element on your web page.
By adding a relevant picture, for example, not only you give visitors information but you also entertain them with a “story”. This way you can emotionally connect with them.
7 Steps to Write Customer Centric Website Content
Before you start writing content make sure to answer these questions. What is the buying cycle of my industry? What are the keywords I’m targeting? Who is the persona or profile of your target audience? What is the goal of this page? Can I create a story?
Here are the steps:
1. Understand the buying cycle for your industry.
Prospects come to your website from different stages of buying cycle. Understanding the buying cycle and the consumer needs at every stage are the key to developing relevant web content.
2. Let’s say you sell laptops.
Consumers who look for information on how to productively use a laptop and ones who want to compare two types of laptops for the same brand come from different stages of buying cycle.
You will want to give each of them with specific info that leads them closer to a buying decision.
3. Find and choose your keywords.
Research keywords that your prospects type in on search engines and group the keywords for each stage of the buying cycle.
4. Develop your ideal customer’s persona.
Just use a demographic profile for determining their needs and a psychographic profile for assessing their wants.
Then, create a value proposition that describes your unique offerings and good reasons a prospect want to do business with you and not your competitions.
5. Set your goal and start content writing.
Make sure your content answer visitors’ “what’s in it for me?” question. Then start writing on your own, even if you aren’t comfortable with your skills.
Once finished, check the document with a writing enhancement tool like Grammarly. Such a tool will make you sound like a pro.
6. Don’t have the time to write articles?
There is a ton of SEO content writing services available for hire over the Internet. Hiring a web content provider to write a decent sized SEO article should cost you from $15 to $50. Make sure you brief your writer about your goal and style.
7. Keep the focus on target audience.
No matter what you sell, dedicate yourself to writing desirable web content for your audience. A cool, attractive website won’t generate any business, but appealing, customer centric website content will work for you.
Do that, and you’ll win the trust of your prospects and, in turn, you can convert them into customers.