THATBlog

Need a website? Today, it is easy to find an online site with which to build one. But is DIY the right way to go? Maybe. It’s certainly a good way to create a good-looking website. But is it the right route by which to create quality web content? The difference makes the difference for your brand and the accomplishment of key business-building goals.

The Importance of Top-Notch Website Content

Your web content - that is, your written, image, video, and audio assets - determine whether people find your site (quality is key for strong search engine results), interact with it, and return again and again to engage with your brand.

From product and service descriptions and company information pages to informational videos and helpful eBooks and blog posts, these pieces of website content drive results. But what is quality? It is:

• Unique and original.

• Informational and educational.

• Credible and trustworthy.

• Proofread and accurate.

• Honest and straightforward.

Quality web content boosts your authority in your field, as well as facilitating engagement and brand loyalty. Here’s why it’s so powerful:

1. Value

Competition is fierce; consumers are informed and time-pressed. High quality content engages them by giving them what they want: information. Understand what your target audience want - and give it to them. Answer the questions they have; address their challenges; pose solutions. By doing so, you’ll boost traffic, prompt social sharing, increase engagement, and grow conversions and sales.

2. Sales

Speaking of sales… trust-building is an essential step in today’s buying process. Great content can help you dig into your target audience’s needs and provide them with the information they need to make a purchase. Reviews are especially helpful in this regard; the majority (77%) of consumers read online reviews to help their decision-making process.

3. Lifespan

Quality web content doesn’t expire. “Evergreen” content can be used for months or years, repackaged, reutilized, revamped.... It’s an investment that continues to provide an ROI into the future.

Topical content is important; it ensures your audience sees you as up-to-date and responsive to current events and trends. But “classic” how-tos (e.g. how to write great website content!) can provide value and stay relevant much longer. Make sure it’s clearly written, covers broader topics, isn’t time-stamped with date-specific information, and is updated as needed.

4. Shares

When people share your content via social media and other channels, it helps expand your reach and the potential pool of leads you have from which to draw. It also increases your online visibility, which is huge in the search engine-oriented landscape.

What’s share-worthy content? That which is informative, helpful, engaging, and insightful. And yes, if you do it well, funny and controversial content also finds itself being shared, retweeted, pinned, etc.

Figure out what your audience wants: images? Video? Blogs? Podcasts? Serve it up and they’ll share.

5. SEO

Awesome content means very little if people can’t find it. Search engine optimization techniques (e.g. keywords, inbound links, video and image descriptions, etc.) shine a spotlight on your website. If you can rank near or at the top of the search engine results pages, you have a much better chance at drawing traffic.

6. Usability

Factors from navigation and ease-of-use to interconnection between content pieces are what determines if people find your website “usable.” The user experience is paramount: when people can’t find what they want, when it takes too long to load, when they hit “Sorry, This Page Doesn’t Exist” messages, they are quick to turn right around and head to a competitor’s website.

7. Differentiation

When you’re competing against others who offer similar products/services, you need to stand out. High quality web content enables you to do this. Feature unique posts, helpful videos, eye-catching infographics, and other assets designed to show how you are different and that you’re the solution for which they’ve been searching.

Great website content isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have in today’s highly competitive business environment. Stand out - and stand above - the pack by putting quality first.