Your Success Is Our Success
It Really Is That Simple™

Content Is King!

It's time to add content, but what can you add
that will drive more qualified traffic to your website?

 

Target Audience The key is to think about your target audience, your visitors, and determine what they need.  Driving traffic to your web site in such a manner can lead to a long and healthy relationship between you, your web visitor, and the search engines. Search Engines Search Engines prefer content and will typically list content related pages higher than other pages on the search engine.  Why?  Most people are looking for assistance with a particular subject, or they are looking for more details about a product or service.  Search engines will typically rank you web pages higher in the search engine when they find content enabled pages. Negative Versus Positive A subject can be both positive and/or negative.  For example, if you owned a lawn care or green house web site, a popular article could be the, "Top 10 Ways for Rose Success" but you might also consider a negative and possibly humorous approach such as the, "Top 10 Ways to Certainly Kill Your Rose Garden." Although most of your articles should be positively approached, a negative focused article such as the one listed above could actually provide helpful information about poor watering, poor placement, poor fertilizers, etc.  It would help people to avoid common mistakes. Don't have anything to write about?  Think again! Here's some popular content for any web site... Top 10 Lists Contrast or Comparison Advanced Explanations Interview Test Results Press Release The Latest Thrill Book Review Newspaper, Radio, TV, Internet Ads Safety Tips Spotlight Community Support Exclusive Benefits Fear Instructions Holiday / Seasonal Double Sided Sword How To... A Basic Explanation Top Tips Poll Results Product/Service Review A Typical Day Industry Events / Local Events FREE Online Class! Preparing for... Recipes Best Ways To... Jokes / Humor Cartoons Most Bang for Your Dollar Scenarios Other Topics Best Reasons to Add Content    Top 10 Lists You don't always have to have 10 items, it can be any number you want!  For example: Top 3 Reasons Your Lawn Mower Fails To Start Top 10 Lists can be negative, positive, funny, educational, etc.  Contrast or Comparison Compare one item, service, product, etc. against another.  For example: Compare or contrast one rose to another rose A lawn mower to another lawn mower One service plan versus another etc. This can be one of your products/services compared to another of your products/services.  It could also compare against your competitors.  Advanced Explanations A mixture of easy to advanced articles can be very helpful.  Advanced articles are also helpful in establishing your credibility as knowledgeable in your field.  Advanced doesn't mean difficult or challenging to read, but the subject matter might be more challenging.  Interview Setup an interview with someone in your industry or within your own company (such as the President/Owner/Webmaster).  This is just one more tool in increasing your web visitors trust. This could also be done as "A Letter From The President of XYZ."  Test Results All business conduct tests every now and then.  Why not publish those results?  Of course you would always respect the privacy of any information you use.  It could be a simple test such as: "Over the years, we have conducted many tests that have lead us to increase quality."  One of our most important test results came from [content] which lead us to [lead], etc.  Press Release Issue formal press releases on your website.  This is a great way to build your credibility while providing useful information for the press. Use Press Releases for the "big news" events regarding your business.  "XYZ Corporation Largest Employer In Our City," "XYZ PC Distributors Reaches 100th Client, A Credit To Our Community Support." etc. Keep in mind that Press Releases may or may not be picked up by the press, but it can be a good idea to keep these important events on your website. You might also consider Press Release writing help or Press Release software.  The Latest Thrill Why not discuss the latest, newest, greatest, or even the most cutting edge topic about new products, services, events, promotions, sales, specials, etc.  Keep it exciting and your readers will read every word.  Book Review Don't laugh!  A book review about books that your target audience would be interested in can be very helpful.  Make sure to keep your review honest, or your credibility will be lowered. You could even write a book review and setup a link to barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com, etc. making it a click to purchase the positively or negatively reviewed book.  Newspaper, Radio, TV, Internet Ads Have you been advertising?  If so, let your web visitors know. It helps to establish credibility for those that don't know you have been advertising, but have visited your website. It also helps those that visit your website after seeing your ad to know they have arrived at the correct website.  Safety Tips Why not provide safety tips to your visitors?  For example, if you sell candles, providing candle safety tips would be helpful. If you sell an item you can't think of any safety tips to provide, why not provide "Shopping Safety Tips" where you help your shoppers to safely shop online (not just at your site, but at any site).  By providing safe shopping tips, you establish your business as having a safe and secure shopping site.  Spotlight Spotlight a product, service, industry, person/employee, organization, city, etc.   Create a detailed article about something you wish to spotlight.  This can be used to draw attention to something, to increase customer loyalty, to increase customer trust, etc.  Community Support Do you support your community?  Then let your web visitors know about it!  This includes: classes/seminars you conduct employee community service projects civic organizations clubs events speeches presentations company sports sponsorships anything that you do to support your local community. People want to know you care about your community.  If you care about your community, and your clients know it, that's a good thing.  Exclusive Benefits Explain the exclusive benefits of your services, products, your website, your expertise, etc.  Most benefits center around one or more of the following...   Saving Money Saving Time More bang for your buck especially when compared to competitors Easy Payment Plans Simple to use Increasing Efficiency Automating Routine Tasks Easy to setup / Easy to start / etc. Increasing Convenience Money Back Guarantee The goal is to convey the benefits along with minimizing any barriers to entry for your web visitors.  Fear Sometimes a great strategy is to use the fear of something happening or not happening. For example, a popular article that floats around the Internet is "Can Someone Steal Your Identity?"  This article discusses the fear we have of losing control of our private information. The article ultimately tries to sell us a credit report for a few dollars in order to check up on the information being reported about our monetary transactions, credit cards, loans, 3rd parties, etc.  It uses classic fear quotes like, "I was lucky. By the time many people find out, their credit can be ruined."  Plus others like, "You may not know about identity theft until it's too late." Do you have the sudden feeling to get a credit report for yourself or your company?  If so, you have already felt how fear articles can move you to action.  Instructions Sometimes you may find that shoppers would like to purchase from you online, but they need to know how an item works. For example, if you are selling locks for filing cabinets, scan the instructions, and place it online.  Your shopper will feel confident that they can follow the instructions, and place an order as a result. We see a lot of websites miss out on sales because of this.  It's easy to create this article - stop losing sales today!  Holiday / Seasonal If your website is visited more often during certain holidays or seasons, make sure you have articles related to these peak periods. You can use any combination of the above suggestions, like "Holiday Online Shopping Tips" etc.  Double Sided Sword There are two perspectives you can use in writing to your audience. ONE:  Help them save time, money, etc.  Example:  "Save time by buying our product." TWO:  Help them have more time, money, increased efficiency, etc.  Example:  "Why spend time performing this task when we can automate it for you.  You'll have more time for the finer things in life." Saving time versus having more time, it's your call, use what works for your target audience.  How To... A great way to explain a product or service to those that may not be familiar with a subject.  Educate and sell!  For example: How to safely sharpen a knife How to Create Cool Atmosphere With Our Lighting Equipment How to Hang a Picture How To Save Money By... How to Build a PC etc.  A Basic Explanation  An article that simple explains the basics of a product/service/concept that may seem elementary to you, but possibly not to someone else.  Don't forget about this large group of people that may be interested in finding out the basics! For example: What [some term] Means To You.  Top Tips Provide the most useful tips for success in whatever the subject.  For example: Top Tips for a Great Retirement Top Tips for Long Lasting Light Bulbs Best Way To Save Money etc.  Poll Results If you conduct a poll, why not publish the results?  Keep in mind that most people want to know how many participants were involved in the poll for it to have any weight or bearing.  For example, a poll of 5 people will have little weight compared to a poll with 100 people.  Product/Service Review Why not review a product or service.  For example, if you owned a greenhouse, why not review the top 5 fertilizers?  If you sell PC parts, why not review and rate the top five name brand equipment? If you have an online game store, of course reviewing and commenting on games would be extremely beneficial.  It's good to be honest, because if you give a great review to a poor product, your credibility will go down. This could also include a comparison of your own products and services.  Why should someone pay $10 more for your premium service?  Explain it based upon the BENEFITS (not features).  A Typical Day To add a personal touch to your website, you could write about a typical day at your business/company.  It could be from the presidents perspective or anyone in the company.  Creating a "warm" website will be a place people want to return and return.  Industry Events / Local Events Even though not all of your web visitors will be able to attend events that you may may attend, it helps to build credibility by showing you are staying up-to-date with the latest events, and by updating your online website every now and then with dates and times can show your online website is alive and active. Why is that important?  Many visitors will bookmark your site and revisit at a later time to see if you are still online.  FREE Online Class! You can create a FREE online class that your web visitors can enjoy.  It could be simply 9 or 10 articles about a subject.  You could also require people to register in order to receive the free online class.  You could provide a portion of the class for free, and a much larger portion after registering to receive the rest of the class. Please do NOT use obtained information in an improper manner as doing so will reduce your credibility.  For example, don't obtain their email addresses and then send them a bunch of ads for your services.  In the long run, you will only force your visitors to not return. If you have visitors sign up for any newsletter, consider informing them of when they can expect to receive any emails from you.  Most people want to know when new content is added, so let them know you will send them an email when new material has been added to the online class.  Preparing For... Explain how to prepare for something.  For example: How to prepare your lawnmower for winter storage. How to prepare your family for a camping vacation. How to prepare your website for success. How to prepare for bad weather. etc. Yes, these do somewhat fall under the "How to" category, but they can be unique enough to warrant their own category. Keep in mind the needs of your target audience.  Recipes Yes, recipes.  Have each employee submit their favorite recipes (from casseroles to desserts) and put that on the web in an article such as "Our Favorite Recipes From Us To You."  Best Ways To... Filet a Fish ...to Safely Shop Online ...to Prevent PC Viruses ...to Stay Healthy etc. This is another one that is close to a "How To" list, but is still unique enough to spark some creative ideas.  Jokes / Humor Jokes can show your creative side and help lighten the mood.  Bear in mind that everyone has a different sense of humor, so be careful with your jokes.  For example, you wouldn't want to demean your web visitors by telling an industry joke that pokes fun at your web visitor. There are plenty of clean, funny joke archives online that provide their jokes for free.  Please respect copyrights before pulling jokes from books, magazines, websites, etc. #1 Joke Advice... Keep clear of jokes or humor that may cause your web visitor to run away!  Cartoons Many cartoon writers will give you permission to post their cartoon in your article.  Some allow you to do this for free while others charge per instance.  Please respect cartoon author copyright wishes. Cartoons are also a creative way to keep the mood of your article fun and spirited. Make sure to give your readers an article and supplement it with a cartoon, versus just a cartoon by itself.  Consider cartoons as an "add-on" to your article.  Most Bang for Your Dollar We've all heard this expression before, and it makes for some great articles.  Regardless of your prices, this type of article can persuade a reader to buy a more expensive service or product. For example..."Which Vehicle Do You Need?"  This article could compare cars with trucks, and then individual cars with each other.  By the time the reader is done, they know which vehicle would suit their needs (and wants).  Before the article, they may not have even been interested in buying a new vehicle, but now are excited to learn about the benefits they will receive by owning the vehicle that will fit their needs (and wants). Another example..."Which Home Improvement Is Best For You?"  This article could talk about...Adding Space, Upgrading / Adding a New Bathroom, Adding a Deck, Adding a Relaxing Pond, Exterior / Interior Painting, etc.  Scenarios While this isn't really an article, this is more of a style of writing your article.  Scenarios articles are a great way to convey your message to your target audience. If I have $1,000 for Home Improvement, How Will My Home Be Improved? Inside Scenario 1 - Setup some examples such as a bathroom upgrade and what it would typically involve for the money.  Another scenario might talk about a kitchen upgrade, etc. Outside Scenario 2 - Setup some examples of outside home improvements such as painting, window work, lighting a garden, adding a small deck, etc. These aren't quotes or packages that you are selling, but they give an idea or two about the use of a home owner's money or the improvements that they might expect.  They might not realize the options they have available and they certainly enjoy increasing the value of their home as well. Certainly in the scenarios described above, every house is different and $1,000 might not go nearly as far on one house as it would another house.  This should be explained clearly to the reader. Of course the examples above are about home improvement, but scenarios can involve just about any subject.  Make sure you are clear about the services and/or products that you can provide to your target audience.  How Do I Find Other Topics? If you want to find great questions that need great answers that you might be able to write an article about, try visiting an online BBS related to your subject matter. You might find that someone has posted a question or questions that really "hit home" that can be an article that you can create for your web visitors. Please do NOT copy the responses that you find on the BBS unless you have permission to do so.  Be original and provide your own solutions, answers, assistance, etc. Have an idea?  Let us know :) Remember, in order for content to be king, you must consider your target audience above all else!  Don't think about your needs, but put on the hat of your web visitor and really think about that person's needs. Best Reasons to Add Content to Your Website... Traffic Building - Most people and businesses are looking to satisfy some need such as saving money, saving time, increasing efficiency, etc.  Help them find that information from your site. Traffic Retention - Those people or businesses with interest in the subject will continue to return if your information is useful for them.  We would strongly recommend setting up a newsletter that web visitor can join (BY CHOICE) so that they would receive an email when you added new content. Search Engines - Search engines typically rank content pages higher within the search engine. Increase Value - Visitors that can receive helpful articles from your website will see a higher value to your website over your competitors. Build Trust & Loyalty - Quality articles can also build trust in your web visitor.  Remember, you may be a perfectly legitimate person/business, but your web visitor sometimes isn't so sure upon their first visit.  Why not encourage them to come back with new monthly articles.  If they see growth and continual site updates, their trust will grow. eBooks - If you create enough articles, tips-and-tricks, "how to," etc., you can put them all in an eBook.  An eBook is an electronic version of a paper-based book.  They are one of the hottest items on the Internet. You will need to obtain eBook creation software, or you could create an eBook from HTML.  You could also create an eBook in the popular PDF format. Want Thousands of Readers? - You can take articles that you create, and place them on an article/ezine resource sites where you give permission for your article to be used by others.  You of course retain the copyright, but have given permission for other newsletter writers to use your article. This is an excellent method of free advertising and establishing instant credibility on a broad scale.  Plus, since it's free, you gain additional advertising without spending a penny (unless you had the article professionally written). Although we provide the following links, please review any website before submitting your article(s). Popular places to submit your article include... Various Subjects http://www.ezinearticles.com/  Webmaster Articles http://webmasterhelps.com/submitarticle.html Business & Internet Related Subjects http://www.addto.com/articlesubmit.shtml Various Subjects http://www.pagewise.com/submit_to.html Opinion Focused Articles http://www.theopinion.com/submit/ Health / Life Subjects http://lifematters.com/submit_article.asp To find resources on specific, or nich focused subjects, use your favoriate search engine and search "submit article [subject]" replacing [subject] with your specific subject.  Of course other searches may produce better results, this is just an example.   Content can be as simple as a "Top 10" list or a full article about a subject. Add content to your website today! If any of the above article idea suggestions  help you, why not drop us a line and let us know. We would love to hear about your success!