Adding content to your Web site
A quick search on GoogleŽ for the phrase "website
content" turned up half a billion hits, possibly proving
the adage, "content is king". It certainly demonstrates a
frequently asked question of most new Web site owners,
"What do I put on my Web site?"
There are many factors to consider when choosing Web
site content-from your intentions for your Web site to the
messages you are trying to communicate to your visitors.
For example, are you planning to use your Web site for
sales transactions, i.e., e-commerce? If so, your Web site
content will probably include photos of your products,
item descriptions, prices, a "Buy Now" button, etc. Are
you planning to use your Web site as an extension of a
physical store? Then you'll probably want content such as
information about your store, directions and maps to your
physical location, photos of your products, customer
testimonials, and more.
If content is king, then quality is
queen
Whatever the use for your new Web site, keep in mind
the most critical element in creating the content on the
pages: quality. From the minute people sign on to their
computers to the minute they shut down, your visitors are
reading content. They're reading e-mail messages,
professional articles found on online media, and
information on Web sites. Visitors have become very
critical of the copy they're reading and they will judge
your Web site by the quality of your copy writing.
Don't forget to use:
- correct grammar and spelling
- consistent tone and style
- helpful information
If you're not comfortable writing your own Web site
content, you may want to enlist the help of a professional
copywriter. At least ask someone to proof your work before
you publish it to the Internet.
Content also includes graphics and links to other Web
sites and other sources of information. When laying out
your copy, keep in mind that most visitors to your Web
site will scan the page first before reading copy in
detail. Use bullet points and subheads to aid in this
scanning and to highlight the strong points you wish to
convey.
How does content affect being found
online?
If you haven't given much thought to how content
affects your results on search engines. Now is the time to
ask yourself, "What content do I put on my Web site to
make sure it turns up on GoogleŽ or YahooŽ and it turns up
near the top of the search results?" To bring visitors to
your Web site you have to be found online.
In addition to adding links on your Web site to other
Web sites with related content, you now need to consider
the "keywords" which describe your Web site. Keywords are
the terms and phrases visitors use on search engines such
as GoogleŽ to find information on the Internet. For
example, enter the phrase "running shoes" at a search
engine and you should see pages of results based on these
keywords pointing to Web sites that have something to do
with "running shoes."
Think about your products and services and the types of
keywords a visitor would use to find what you offer
online. Then develop your Web site copy, plan to
incorporate these same keywords.
You could do research on the Internet to determine
keywords related to your industry, or you could hire
search engine optimization experts to help you find the
most optimal keywords for your Web site. Rising Site
Services offers a number of services to help you determine
keywords and to analyze your Web site for design elements
which may be preventing you from being found online.
Content is gathered; now design your
Web Site
Once you have a handle on your keywords and you have
quality copy, you need to pull everything together in a
graphically pleasing Web site design. You can do so by
hiring a Web site design expert from a company like Rising
Site Services.
Go live on the Internet
- Edit your copy for correct spelling and grammar
- Check that all your links to other Web sites are
working
- Preview your Web site design
If all looks good, you're ready to share your new Web
site with the world!
Other Resources
The Internet is stocked with articles on how to
incorporate quality content on your Web site. To start
your own research, you can read some excellent articles on
setting up a Web site at
www.entrepreneur.com -- the online version of
Entrepreneur magazine.
