Writing Content: What Does Your Website Say?

So you’re building a website…. Great news! Now, what do you put on that thing?

You’ve got about 10 seconds to captivate your viewer in the fast-paced online world today

(According to: nngroup.com)

If you don’t grab their attention in those first few seconds, they’re moving on to the next website.

When it comes to writing content for your website, you’ll want to be thoughtful. Spend time really assessing who is going to read this thing. What are they looking for, and how can you help them. You’ll want to answer all these questions, and you’ll want to answer them fast. The most critical point of consideration in your website’s content is the viewer’s perspective.

If you’re like most business owners that are trying to get their brand out there, making it about the reader, not about you, can understandably be a challenge.

Let’s explore some helpful tips for writing content that will keep the reader interested and engaged in your website:

1. Who are you talking to? It’s important to really know who your audience is, and what they are looking for. Writing to your target market should be the first point of consideration for anyone writing content for a website (or any marketing avenue really). You want to be able to catch the attention of the people who you want to hire you. In order to do that, you must know who they are, and what they are looking for! 
2. Have a clear navigation. The end user wants to find the information that they are looking for, without getting lost within your site on the way. Having a clean navigation through your website helps the user get to what they want quickly, without spending time on things they are not interested in with your site, because let’s face it, nobody wants to sit and read each page word for word.
3. Be concise and to the point. It’s probably always a good idea to shorten your text. Nobody online is looking for lengthy paragraphs to read and translate into what they are looking for. Most online surfers are skimming material to find what they want quickly. Keep this in mind when creating good titles, subtitles, and headings, which are all more likely to be read than the following text itself.
4. Avoid your industry’s jargon and unreadable text completely. We all want to sound smart and savvy in our areas of expertise, but you have to be reachable by potential customers. Quite frankly, potential customers don’t care about industry jargon if they don’t know what it means. If it’s going to be over the viewer’s head, they will move on to a different option. A good rule of thumb is to write for a 12 year old. Simple and easy to read content is critical.
5. Use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques. Most people are using search engines such as Google to find what they are looking for online. It’s important that you use strategies within your content that is optimized for these search engines to find you, and bring you to the top of the list when someone is Googling your product or service. Creating an effective SEO strategy is an art form of it’s own, and there are several considerations for content on this. Just a few of them include:
   • Employing a keyword phrase within each page – and sticking with it throughout that page
   • Using words and phrases that potential clients are looking for
   • Including relevant links to other websites or to other pages within your own website
6. Provide the information your customers are looking for. Don’t be afraid to offer all of the pertinent data someone will need to decide if they want to do business with you, including your prices. When building a website, many business owners focus their attention on what they need from the potential customer, but instead gear that attention to be what the customer will need from you.
7. Simplify the data. Keep it short. Bullet points are good in place of paragraphs. Where paragraphs are used, they should be kept to a maximum of four sentences, with plenty of whitespace in between them. Again, keep in mind that most people are skimming this data, not reading each word. The more accessible you have your information for all those internet skimmers, the better off your site will be.
8. Your content should be educational, not too salesy. When searching online for information, people are looking for just that: Information. They are not looking to be persuaded into something then and there. Keep it informative.
9. Have a clear call to action on each page. What is the goal that you have for each page? Should they call today, contact you, or click on your link? Make sure the call to action is visible and enticing on each page of your site.
10. Add captivating pictures that apply to what you’re selling. Good photography can break up text, and add meaning that people can relate to. It is a good idea to include portraits of owners/employees/teams so that customers can see who they are doing business with. This creates a sense of trust and understanding of your company. Let your photos represent you and your business in the eyes of potential customers.
11. Be personable, friendly, and conversational. Address the reader as ‘you’, and point out why they will benefit from your product or service. Write in a way that engages the reader so that they are interested in you, and your business, because you are interested in them!
12. Minimize your requests within forms. While forms are an essential part of your website, you don’t want to overwhelm your prospects by asking too much information of them upfront. Of course you’ll want their name and at least one way to contact them. But maybe save all the questions about their budget, income, and home address until you get that phone call or email. Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to spend their afternoon filling out your long form requesting any personal information of them before they’ve gotten to know you and your business.
13. Keep your website current. Add content on a regular and frequent basis, and don’t forget to remove the information that no longer applies. Maintain your site with current promotions, events, and blogs. Keep up to date information that customers are seeking!
14. Hire a professional to achieve the best results. At Anchor Websites, we work with professionals who can get the job done for you! Creating a website that is readable and user friendly is essential to you, and your business, and we want to help.

Keep in mind, that not all of these strategies are suitable for all business websites. Your website is a highly customizable tool used to represent your business. If your business requires heavy informative content, you must include that in your site! Keeping it easy to read, navigate, and internalize is the key.

Call us at 715-600-1950 for a free quote on your professional business website today! https://anchorwebsites.com/