Right, I’m guessing that you clicked on this because you suspect that your website isn’t doing all it could for your business. If that’s the case here’s a few questions to ask yourself about your website content. Even if you don’t think you have a problem why not go through the questions anyway. You never know, it might give you a few ideas to boost your business.
Is your web content just rusting away?
When was your web content written?
I was reading a website for a pub the other day (people who know me won’t find this too hard to believe) where it said it was OK to smoke in the bar but not in the restaurant. So there’s a website that hasn’t been touched since the before the smoking ban came in. That’s fine if your business hasn’t changed much for a few years and also fine if you don’t care where your site ranks with Google. The fact that you’re reading this suggests that, maybe, these things don’t apply to you.
There are several reasons why outdated content matters. People who don’t know your business will be put off by content that obviously hasn’t changed for a while. Also, how much has your business changed in the last 6 months? Does your web content reflect all of the things you now do, and all of the ways you add value to your customers? Finally, Google hates content that never changes.
SEO is a journey
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) used to be a relatively straightforward process of designing the structure of your site, and writing the content around the words that your customers are most likely to type into Google. Choose the right words, put them in the right places and away you go.
Google regularly updates the programs it uses to determine where your site ranks. What worked a couple of years ago will probably not work now – particularly if you relied on packing your content with as many keywords as possible. Google also looks at how often your content changes. If it doesn’t see any changes your site will gradually drop down the rankings.
So content that never changes is bad for all sorts of reasons. That’s why I prefer to work with clients for a monthly fee that spreads the up-front cost of content development and allows for regular updating.
Does your website engage?
Your website should be part of a conversation with your customers. Read your content; does it honestly sound like a conversation, or is it all about you? Do you enjoy and value ‘conversations’ with people who only talk about themselves?
Good content is written in a straightforward and approachable way. Stiff, self-important and formal language is a killer. So is florid prose – you’re not trying to win the Booker Prize, you just want to promote your business. Good content also starts from the customer’s perspective – what matters to them and how what you do adds value to their lives or business. Does your site do this?
Having a website is not enough
The brutal truth about marketing your business on-line is that a website – although in many cases still essential – is no longer enough. Getting your website found in the ever-expanding internet universe is getting harder. Without a strategy for publishing high-quality, original content, and getting this shared through social media networks, your website will be increasingly irrelevant – unless you have a large budget to commit to Pay Per Click advertising that is.
Looked at in a more positive way, a content strategy is cheaper than paid advertising and printing brochures. Done properly it also has the capability to target customers more effectively, build relationships and take on more of the selling task than brochures (printed or on-line) could ever do.
If you started reading this because you suspect your website is not performing, and if any of the above rings true, please get in touch using the contact tab on the left. I’d be happy to have a chat about how we can fix things for you. Or contact me HERE
You might also find these articles helpful:
by 
by