CONTENT IS STILL KING...

Getting results from your web site relies on only two main things (sorry graphic designers – it’s not how the site looks…!)

Here are the two main things that will get your web site better results: -

One – great compelling content that satisfies the web site visitors questions and leads them to clear calls to action

And

Two – has great search engine friendly placed key words to attract a good listing in search engines

If your web site has less of these two very important things then it will be performing below its best.

Having spent money on your web site (or the time in creating your own) you want to get maximum benefits from it.

Having a low traffic count – and / or a low conversion rate means that you not getting a fair return on your investment and your competitors probably are doing better than you

Having a web site that has built-in “search engine bait” and that converts web site visitors to paying customers can make a huge different to your business profits – below are some ideas on how to make your current web site better.

Lets look at getting more customers to your web site first – make sure that you describe each of your products and services really well using words that your target market uses.

You may wish your company to be known as “barristers and solicitors” but your ideal new customer is looking for “lawyers”…

Also describe how to use the products or services – because in this way you can use the words that describe the process or outcomes of using your products or services.

People buy an electric drill to make holes so good case studies can contain examples that are truly relevant to your new customers needs (and the search terms they have used).

Don’t forget to also include all of the names that your product or service could be called – this is less of an issue for a particular piece of equipment that has a brand name and model number – but consider all of the type of work that an excavator can do and things can get complex to describe all of the word possibly undertaken.

Consider also the different competitors that you may have in your geographical target market – many searches contain a “what” you’re searching for – and also a “where” you want to find it.

A search for “bed and breakfast – Rotorua”, “b and b Rotorua”, “accommodation Rotorua” will display completely different results.

Not to mention the results for “bed and breakfast – Bay of Plenty” – do some competitor analysis and see which terms are not so hotly contested.

Now we focus on content that converts web site visitors to new customers…

Is there enough information on your web site for visitors to make a “buying decision”…?

Do you have your “terms of trade”, “credit terms” or payment or delivery options available and clearly linked on your web site…?

Make sure that a new customer has enough supporting information “about you” and your existing customers to ‘trust” that you will deliver what you say you will.

Third party links to the various “reputation engines” that tell your story from the customers point iof view is one way of ensuring that folks get to see the “real you” and how good your service levels actually are.

Some of your web visitors will prefer to read novels of text – other will wish for the executive overview – it is difficult finding the happy medium but do ensure that you have enough information to satisfy all reading styles.

Also with some visitors being turned on by photos make sure you have enough other content such as photos or videos as well as textual content for each of your product or services.

Here’s a quick list of the type of information that you could have for your products and services: -

• Heading of the Product / Service
• About the Product / Service using the benefits to the customer, use the language that the customer would use and tables for technical list style data (or bullet points)
• Who this Product or Service would be targeted too (the ideal customer profile)
• Case studies of other customers that have already used this product or service - give context to the customer’s comments - not just "Russell from Gisborne...." but "Small Business CEO Russell from a provincial town...." or “Russell and his family of five on school holidays…”
• Photo galleries of this product or service - preferably many with people in them (remember people buy off people)
• Testimonials for this product or service - as above - give context not just names
• List of "AKA - Also Known As" - to help with educating clients and to use as search engine bait....
• Finally a clear "How to order / buy this Product or Service" - which leads to the call to action for the site...

With the content management system that you use to maintain your website you can have as many pages of information about your products or services as you need.

Let us know what you think of you content and let us know if we can help make some specific suggestions on what to add to make your web site work better for you.