The Big Deal about Fresh Content

Let’s take a brief moment to be thankful for a tool we have at our disposal called the “website.”  Less than 20 years ago it would have been a stretch to think that small businesses could run profitable enterprises completely from a website.

Going into business would have inevitably meant some investment in renting space (to look credible) and implementing a costly marketing strategy to get attention from your target market.

Now, a website alone (without the brick and mortar store front) can serve the needs of many small businesses selling services and products. Just think about the thousands of dollars saved on rent.  Also think about how much easier and affordable it is to market your product or service using your handy website.

With all that said, what are you doing to fully maximize the use of your website? I know you’ve been presented with what seems like a million ways to improve your website so that’s why today I’m going to focus on one great strategy: fresh content.

Your website has to do a lot of things.  It has to:

• Attract your prospective customer
• Introduce your company and demonstrate why you can meet your prospective customer’s needs
• Promote your products and services
• Ask for the sale
• Process the sale
• Keep your customers coming back for more

So how does your website do all this?

Answer: with fresh, well-written content and technical tools that enhance your customer’s experience.  The technical tools of a good website include a good design and platform (I suggest WordPress) that allow your customers to navigate the site without difficulty and purchase products or services seamlessly and with clear, friendly direction.

While design and programing will enhance the experience for your customer, the fuel of any website is fresh, well-written content.  By fresh, I mean that your website publishes new content regularly. Before customers purchase from a vendor they like to know that the vendor is knowledgeable about the product or service they need and nothing says that more than current and useful information displayed on your website.

The process for creating a website with fresh, relevant content that can drive traffic and sales is not a hap hazard endeavor. It takes planning and it takes a strategy. You have to know on a week to week basis what you want to share with your customer.

Think about your local department store. They are constantly promoting new products, seasonal discounts, special celebrity promotions and countless other activities to get you into the store.

Your website should be doing the same thing.  With a smart editorial calendar that ties in your content with seasonal interests and the priorities of your particular target market, fresh content will:

1. Promote
2. Build Credibility
3. Drive Sales

Fresh Content Promotes

Basically your customer needs to find your site. You can facilitate that by publishing good content that gets shared via social media. If you publish timely and relevant content that informs and helps readers, they will recommend your website or blog posts in social media forums – especially if you make it easy for them by include social media sharing tools (like StumpleUpon, Twitter and Facebook icons) with every post/page on your website.

Just think: If most people on average have 200 followers on Twitter and there are almost 100 million users on Twitter, there are hundreds, if not thousands of people that your posts will be exposed to should even a few of your followers share your links.

Fresh Content Builds Credibility

The more you publish new content on your website, the more you increase the chances that you will get top ranking for the key words used by your target market to find websites with the kind of services or products you offer. Internet users are now trained to know or believe that those companies that wind up at the top or on the first page of Google or Yahoo search returns are likely the “best” or the “leaders” in their field.

That’s not always the case but at many of the companies featured near the top of search returns likely are are the successful ones who have earned the respect and patronage of their market.

Fresh Content Drives Sales

So here’s where we are now: people are talking about your content on Twitter and Facebook; your solid search engine optimization strategy is getting you top billing in search engine results and people are coming to your website in increasing numbers.  What do you think you should do next?

You make sure you’ve got your quality product or service to sell to them that’s what you do!

Create an area on your website where you explain your products and services and introduce your audience to these options by including information in visible areas of your website like the right side bar. Of course it goes without saying that you should also introduce your audience to your products or services directly in your content.

You definitely don’t want to be a 24-hour advertisement but you also don’t want your audience scratching their head trying to figure out what exactly their suppose to do on your website other than read your helpful content.

I hope this post helps to shed some light on the whole issue of fresh content and if your business could use a hand with the production of engaging web content, please don’t hesitate to contact us or visit our services page.

To your success!

Sharon