How's the Content on Your Website?

LongIsland.com

You spent more money then you ever thought you would on your website. Now, having built it, you sit back and wait for the visitors to come. But after a few months you realize no ...

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You spent more money then you ever thought you would on your website. Now, having built it, you sit back and wait for the visitors to come. But after a few months you realize no one is visiting your site, you can't find it on Google, and you begin to wonder why you ever bothered.

Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton, authors of the book,

Content Critical: Gaining Competitive Advantage through High-Quality Web Content

, say



"Often we don't realize the true power that quality content has. Equally, we don't realize the negative potential of poor content. In the new economy, content will increasingly be the difference between making and not making that sale. Commerce is selling with people. E-commerce is selling with
content."


In other words, if your intention was to market your business with your site, you'd better pay attention to
what's on it.

Customers are Visiting Websites to Research, Not Necessarily to Purchase

I was recently at a baby supply store searching for a stroller designed for traveling. I found one I liked and read the short informational blurb contained on the little plastic card attached to the shelf. The information was pretty limited, seemed to be nearly the same as the stroller next to it, but was double the price.

Curious, I call over the closest sales person and he begins to read the blurb to me (as if I'm daft or illiterate). The information card was lacking, the salesperson wasn't better, and consequently I went home and researched the stroller on Amazon. Amazon not only has in-depth professional (from the manufacturer) reviews, but regular people who have bought the item write in and give reviews also. I wound up getting the stroller elsewhere.

Ask Yourself These Questions
Why would someone come to my site?

People come to your site for a particular reason--that needs to be crystal clear. If you sell books, they want to see what books you have and how much they are. You wouldn't make that difficult to find, would you? If you're a service company maybe they're researching your company as a potential employee or client. You know why people are coming, make sure they find what they're looking for.

How would they find me?

Do you publicize your domain name? Is it your company name or a derivative of it? Did you know it's possible to have several different domain names all pointing to the same place? Type the URL, "toys.com" or "kbtoys.com" and see. Were they on another site where you were referenced? (By the way, this is a GREAT way to generate traffic to your site as well as garner higher rankings on search engines.)

What will they get if they come?

When people visit automobile websites they're not looking for a salesman or trying to buy a car. They want to see what options are available, crash test information, and general pricing information without the hassle of dealing with a salesperson unarmed.

Think Like Your Prospect

This past September I was trying to book our hotel for our family trip to Disney in January using their site. They didn't have the relevant price information on their hotel rooms for 2004 on their site--I had to use the dreaded phone to speak with a reservationist.

Surely Disney knew how much they were going to charge for a hotel room in four months? Couldn't they think about the exhausted Mom doing research after 11pm?

When people come to your site, what will they see? Will they see fresh and relevant content that directly satisfies a need they may have? Do you give them a reason to visit? Do you keep giving them reasons to keep visiting? What's more, do you give them a reason to do business with you?

2004, Claudine M. Jalajas




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