Capturing readers' attention with good website content can be extremely difficult. Most website visitors will only spend a few seconds on a page before deciding what to do next. The key to beating these odds is good website writing. Well-written, web-optimized content rises to the top of search results and captures readers' attention. Some website writing tips apply whether your text is displayed on a screen, printed, or carved into a pyramid wall. Other strategies are particularly applicable to professional writer/author websites and online stores. Follow these guidelines to ensure that your website content receives the attention it deserves.
The Golden Rules of Writing Website Content
So, how do you create great content for your website that Google appreciates and your target audience enjoys? Let's take a closer look.
1. Establish Your Conversion Objectives
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Consider your end goal before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Do you want to increase brand awareness, gain more customers, participate in industry discussions, or generate more leads?
To be successful with content, you must first define who the guide is for and what you want it to do. You'll also need to figure out how to track your progress, whether in terms of leads, newsletter sign-ups, social shares, or website traffic.
2. Select a Topic That Is Relevant
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You must first choose a topic before you begin website writing. Write about something other than what comes to mind. The topic you choose should be related to your objectives. If you want to attract new leads, your website content will be different than if you want to keep existing customers.
Here are some things to consider:
- Keywords: What do people look for? What are some of the most common search terms?
- Current analytics: Do you already have content for your website (or perhaps a blog) performing exceptionally well? Why not expand on that blog post into a full-fledged guide?
- Target audience: What's the point of creating content if it doesn't resonate with prospective and current customers?
- Competitors: What else is available? Have your competitors published guides on the same topic? If you are unsure whether you can produce a better one, consider a different topic
3. Provide Worth
Outstanding website content comprises many different elements, including passion and a command of the English language. You could be the best wordsmith on the Internet, but you will gain ZERO followers if your content does not provide one thing to your audience: value. Readers are drawn to information that is useful to them. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to provide value—simply, it's a matter of identifying the benefits your audience desires and then catering to those desires. A home improvement store, for example, may offer helpful how-tos and DIY instructions to their customers. A web hosting site could publish troubleshooting tips for server problems or advice on common website setup mistakes to avoid. The goal is to cater to your customer demographics in a way that speaks to them and provides tangible value. Do this in addition to your company's specific products or services, and you'll gain loyal readers.
4. Cite Your Sources
Opinion pieces have their place in the website content world, but readers prefer hard facts. Data and statistics give your authority weight and credibility, increasing readers' trust in you and your content. Use facts and statistics from credible sources throughout your posts to back up your claims. You can also publish fact sheets, which are particularly appealing to readers who prefer to read small, digestible chunks of information all in one place.
5. Make it Newsworthy
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The best content is frequently timely and newsworthy. Instead of winging it and hoping your content ideas will stick, conduct research. Determine trending topics in your niche and the broader media and pop culture. Then search for connections. Consider how various current events relate to your industry or niche. Sometimes, the relationship will be evident and direct, while you must be creative. But don't be put off by a shaky link; it can often lead to an original idea and more exciting website content for your readers. People want to know how different events will affect them. By connecting your content to current events and hot topics, you make it more relevant and relatable to your audience.
6. Be Unique
The most effective content strikes a personal chord. According to Econsultancy, 52% of digital marketers agree that "the ability to personalize content is fundamental to their online strategy." While you are not required to include personal anecdotes or points of view in every post you publish, try to incorporate a personal touch. Readers want to know that a real person is behind the words, so don't be afraid to lift the curtain and reveal the wizard. Here are a few easy ways to inject personality into your content:
- Use a personal story or example to support your points
- Recognize any issues or frustrations that your audience may be experiencing (and ideally how you solved them)
- Write as if you were speaking
- Address the individual in the second person (e.g., "you," "everyone," etc.)
Make a point of personalizing the message and reaching out to your target audience, whether your blog is your business or just one component of your online content strategy.
7. Improve Everything
It should go without saying that you should optimize all of your website content. Don't, however, make the mistake of optimizing your site solely for search engines. While this is an important aspect of optimization, your efforts will be largely in vain if you don't consider the actual users. Make sure your content is also user-friendly as you optimize it. How?
- Use targeted keywords in your copy, titles, meta-descriptions, and tags
- Include calls to action after each blog post and promotional content
- Create winning headlines and engaging website content
- Post content regularly
- Create intuitive (read: user-friendly) site navigation
- Reduce page loading time
Let us return to that last point for a moment. According to Econsultancy, if a site takes more than 3 seconds to load, 40% of users will abandon it. That means you only have a few seconds to persuade users to look at your site, let alone stay and interact with it. Examine your website to ensure they do just that.
8. Include a Mobile Interface
According to Margin Media, 52% of users said they would be less likely to engage with a company if their mobile experience on their website was poor. And 48% believe that if they arrive at a site that isn't mobile-friendly, it's an indication that the company doesn't care. Clearly, if you want your website to stand out, mobile optimization is essential. There are several options for accommodating a mobile design, such as responsive design or a separate mobile version of your site. According to Econsultancy, 62 percent of companies that designed a website specifically for mobile saw an increase in sales.
What Should be Included on the Website?
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While there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all sitemap, there are some types of website content that you should always consider including on your site. Here's the rundown:
- About: Tell prospective clients a bit of yourself. It doesn't have to be overly detailed; the goal is to establish yourself as an expert or thought leader in your field
- Team: Do your clients collaborate closely with you or some of your employees? It may be necessary to provide background information on your key players, particularly in service industries. Again, you want to position your company as an industry leader, so emphasize team members who can assist potential clients in becoming leaders as well
- Process: Depending on your industry, you may have a specific process in place to ensure that your clients receive the most value. If so, please include it on the website. A well-designed infographic is especially effective
- Products/Services: People must be aware of what you have to offer. Each of your products or services should have its own page as much as possible (this is better for SEO). Images and graphics are useful for web content because it is a visual medium. Displaying real products, employees, and customers can help you establish your credibility and trustworthiness. If custom photography isn't in your budget, carefully chosen stock photos can help you improve your product or service descriptions
- Industries: If you serve specific industries, make sure to promote that fact on your website content in order to gain credibility in that industry. It can also help with SEO
- Resources: Whether it's a blog, a collection of whitepapers, videos, or podcasts, providing useful content is beneficial to SEO and your clients. Simply ensure that everything is in a format that your visitors can download. It is preferable to use PDFs or streaming audio/video
- Contact: The more ways people have to contact you, the more likely it is that they will. Avoid burying your contact information. At the bottom of each page, many businesses include their address and phone number
- Call to Action: Perhaps the most crucial aspect. Show your visitors what to do next on each page, whether clicking on an email link to request more information, calling by phone or via Skype link, downloading a whitepaper after completing a contact inquiry, or visiting another landing page. After all, if you don't tell them what to do next, they might just do nothing
Make an Outstanding Website for Your Website Content
To ensure the effectiveness of your website, you need more than just good website content; you also need a great website.
Strikingly is a website builder that can assist you in making both of them a reality. We provide you with a guide to creating optimized content and a website with an eye-catching design. Creating a website has never been easier with strikingly. Simply pick one of Strikingly's ready-to-use template collections. You can search the template collection by category, making finding a suitable template for your website easier. Strikingly will also provide you with features that will assist you in writing good website content. Strikingly can aid in the optimization of your website's content for search engines. This is significant because no matter how good your web content is, it will be ineffective if it cannot be found via search engines.
Strikingly will also provide you with built-in analytics. You can also integrate Google Analytics to better understand the performance of your website content. In our help center, you can find instructions on integrating analytics with your website.
Conclusion
Creating outstanding website content necessitates a significant amount of effort and planning. Don't settle for mediocrity—the majority of your competition is mediocre. Instead, look for small changes you can make to your site and content development to increase the value and quality of your site's users.
