A Simple Approach for Creating Website Content
You've heard it before - "content is king". Blogging, content marketing and social media, this phrase has been drilled into our minds. The reality is, without quality content, your audience has no way to understand your brand's story, offerings and value proposition.
Content plays an essential role in everything from search engine optimization to social media engagement, lead nurturing and driving sales. Yet, despite understanding its importance, many businesses struggle with creating website content that truly connects with their audience.
As you build a new website or revamp an existing one, you need to prioritize content creation. However, this process often leads to overthinking and analysis paralysis. Questions arise:
"What should I put on my website?"
"How do I engage visitors effectively?"
"What kind of content do people want to see?"
Let's simplify the content creation process with a straightforward approach that covers the core components of an effective website.
The Essential Website Pages
Most business websites consist of at least five main page categories:
- Home Page
- About Us
- Products/Services
- Contact Us
- Blog (optional for ongoing content)
While a blog allows for regularly publishing new articles, videos and other media, the primary website pages form the foundation for telling your brand's story. Let's explore a simple strategy for writing compelling content for each of these sections.
Home Page: Setting the Stage
Your Home page acts as the virtual storefront for your business - it's often the first interaction a visitor has with your brand. Just as you wouldn't want to enter a physical store with empty shelves and no products in sight, your Home page shouldn't be a barren space.
Resist the temptation to minimize Home page content in an effort to drive visitors deeper into your site. Instead, use this prime digital real estate to briefly yet purposefully introduce who you are, what you do and why you do it.
This introductory content should pique interest and compel visitors to explore further, ultimately guiding them toward your desired conversion goals (e.g. contacting you, making a purchase, etc.).
About Us: Connecting on a Personal Level
The About Us page allows you to forge a more personal connection with your audience by giving them a behind-the-scenes look at your company's background, mission and the people behind the brand.
Customers crave authenticity and want to do business with companies they can relate to on a human level. Use this space to share your origin story, core values and what drives you to solve the problems you're addressing.
Don't be afraid to let your brand's unique personality shine through. If your company culture is more laid-back and casual, reflect that in your tone and visuals. If you operate in a more corporate environment, maintain a professional yet approachable voice.
The key is to strike a balance between providing valuable company insights while positioning yourselves as trustworthy partners, not just another faceless business.
Products/Services: Clarity is Key
On your products and services pages, clarity trumps everything. Visitors land on these sections because they want to understand what you have to offer and how it can benefit them - make this information evident and easily digestible.
Resist the temptation to use overly creative or technical language that could confuse your audience. Unless you're operating in a highly specialized industry, focus on using straightforward terms that clearly explain your offerings and their value propositions.
Provide key details like:
- What is the product or service?
- What does it do and how does it work?
- Who is it designed for and what core problems does it solve?
- Pricing (or price ranges) and purchasing information
For industries that deal with more technical products, feel free to include in-depth specifications, data sheets and other relevant resources - but keep the core content simple and scannable.
Contact Us: Encouraging Engagement
Your Contact Us page serves as the gateway for visitors to initiate a conversation and convert into leads or customers. As such, its content should prioritize accessibility and ease of use.
At a minimum, display your business name, address and phone number (NAP) prominently on this page. Many users still prefer the ability to reach out via phone, so make this option readily available.
Additionally, include a well-designed contact form that prompts visitors for necessary information (e.g. name, email, message) to streamline incoming inquiries and requests. Leverage form fields strategically to capture lead that can enhance your follow-up processes.
By providing multiple clear pathways for initiating contact, you reduce potential friction and increase the likelihood of conversion.
The Supporting Role: Blogs and Ongoing Content
While the core website pages serve as the foundation for your digital presence, consistently publishing fresh content through a blog or content hub is equally vital. This ongoing stream of articles, videos, infographics and other media supports numerous objectives:
- Demonstrating industry expertise and thought leadership
- Answering common customer questions and addressing pain points
- Using new keywords and topics to improve SEO
- Nurturing leads through the sales funnel with valuable, relevant content
- Increasing brand visibility and social engagement
Your blog's content should closely align with your products, services and audience personas - maintaining a strategic, purposeful approach rather than creating content haphazardly.
Keep It Simple: Final Tips
As you write content for your website's core pages and ongoing content streams, keep these final tips in mind:
Don't overcomplicate: Visitors generally spend little time on websites, so prioritize clear, concise and scannable content that gets straight to the point. Avoid fluff and excessive wordiness.
Use their language: Write your content using terminology, phrasing and vernacular that resonates with your target audience. Don't force industry jargon if it doesn't improve comprehension.
Be authentic: Infuse your brand's genuine personality and approachable tone into your content for a more engaging, human experience. Customers can sniff out disingenuousness from a mile away.
Guide their journey: Structure your content and calls-to-action in a logical sequence that guides visitors through your offerings, addressing questions and concerns along the path to conversion.
The process of creating website content doesn't need to be daunting. By focusing your efforts on these core components and taking a straightforward, visitor-centric approach, you can write compelling, high-converting content that supports your business goals.
So, keep it simple, stay true to your brand and let your content effectively tell your unique story!
