An Insight into… Content

Businesses large and small often rely on websites as a major sales tool. Organisations pour thousands of pounds into perfecting the design, user experience and functionality – with added bells and whistles.

At some point during the build process comes content, yet many make this the last thing they do before rolling the site out. It’s often an afterthought, so to speak.

Whilst your website may be an effective selling tool, it’s the content that makes it work.

Particularly for e-commerce businesses, taking the time to develop strong, user-focused copy will convert clicks into customers, which requires strategic topic planning and solid copywriting skills.

Here are our top ten tips to creating awesome, useful and engaging website content

1 – Establish your voice – A unique tone of voice will set your business apart. It needs personality but also consistency throughout the site

2 – Zero errors – Your website should have no grammatical or spelling errors, otherwise your credibility could be called into question

3 – Write for scanners – We’re bombarded with so much information these days that we’ve become a nation of skim readers with short attention spans. Users want the key points, fast, so make your content an easy read. If they don’t find what they’re looking for, then they’ll quickly bounce elsewhere

4 – Make it about them, not you – Focus your content on your customers’ wants and needs, rather than why you’re so amazing at what you do

5 – Discuss the benefits – Addressing the advantages of your product or service will generate an emotional response from readers, which is a tried and tested sales technique

6 – No SEO junk – Old school SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) agencies continue to overuse keywords, yet in the wake of Google Panda and Penguin, your website can actually lose rankings because of spam. Keywords are important, but it’s also vital to ensure your content is engaging for humans and not just web crawlers

7 – Solid call to action – Every single page should have at least one call to action. Without this, your customers don’t know what step to take next. Use your content to guide users through the site and ultimately convert – whether that’s a sale, enquiry or phone call

8 – Links, links, links – Too many links can be negative, yet linking through to authoritative websites is a great way to establish credibility and provide additional visitors – just ensure they don’t interrupt the conversion process

9 – Select strong verbs – Avoid bland verbs like is, are and was as they stick sentences together with all the excitement of PVA glue. Instead, generate interest with active verbs like drive, infuse and soar

10 – Keep it concise – There’s no need for excessive detail on a website. Eliminate jargon and reduce word count to a minimum, all whilst ensuring your copy is clear and simple