5 Values of Good Website Content

Many times, the first impression people have of your business is what they see on your website. Websites typically contain valuable information about a business and can often influence someone to choose your services over the competition's. Written content is undervalued by a lot of companies today, but good website content can play a huge role in your business’s success. Keep reading below to make sure you’re getting the most out of your website content. 1. Catch Attention When you're deciding how to begin your content, keep in mind that most people lose interest almost immediately if they don’t find what they're looking for early on (these days, that's within seconds). When users click on your page, they should find highly relevant, interesting information within the first few sentences to catch — and keep — their attention. Many copywriters and journalists employ the so-called “inverted pyramid” method to accomplish this task. This is where they place the most important and pertinent information toward the top of the piece to draw the reader in and keep them interested. Then, they place the less important information at the bottom of the piece, in the smaller portion of the pyramid. That's because if you give the user good information toward the beginning, they'll most likely read until the end. 2. Proper Grammar Good grammar is something that is often overlooked but should be taken seriously when creating content for a website. When people are searching for your products or services online, you'll have plenty of competition. For most companies, there's a lot of similar businesses out there. Your goal should be to stand out. That's why it's important to come off as professional and qualified as possible to ensure those people choose you instead of your direct competitor. One way to do this is to have smooth written content. How do you know if your written content is smooth? It sounds smooth. You can determine the smoothness of your writing by reading sentences a few times out loud. Anything that sounds choppy or weird can be rewritten until it is smooth. Reading aloud to yourself may sound silly, but trust me — it works. Capitalization, punctuation, structure, and especially spelling are vital to giving people a good impression of your business. If you aren’t supremely confident in your writing prowess, it might be a good idea to get an MLA or AP stylebook. They have the answers to a lot of common questions that arise when writing. Looking at good website content examples can help, too. 3. Keywords (SEO) Most people use search engines like Google when looking for particular products and services online. The results that appear at the top of their search are much more likely to be accessed than those near the bottom, or on subsequent pages. The top results will be what Google’s algorithms deem the most relevant content in relation to their search criteria. And that's where you want your content to be. When writing content for your website, use plenty of important keywords that people might be using in a relevant search. Businesses are now using search engine optimization (SEO) to increase their brand’s exposure to potential customers. For example, if you run a New York City catering company, your website content/blogs should include specific phrases like “local catering in New York,” “affordable catering services,” and “excellent staff for parties," so you'll rank higher on search engines. That's a crude example, but you get the idea. 4. Avoid Redundancies When reading website content, one of my biggest recurring pet peeves is the repeated use of redundancies. It’s just repetitive! ... I know. That was a knee slapper. But seriously. When websites just regurgitate the same information over and over again, it can be tiresome for the reader. Look for synonyms on words you may have overused while writing and reword some of it. This will make the reading easier for potential customers. Additionally, try to add some variety to your content. Your site should contain different pages that each have their own identity and purpose. Your content doesn’t have to be too long, but it should contain quality information that promotes all aspects of your business. 5. Original Content This should go without saying, but it's important to create your own content. Plagiarizing is a serious offense that can have lasting repercussions for you and your business. Yes, you can pull ideas from other companies — it's called inspiration! — but producing unique, original content will go a long way with your customers and set you apart from the competition. If possible, think outside the box and offer a different approach to your products or services. Try using your own experiences, interests, and knowledge to craft content that feels personal and connects with people on a deeper level. Remember: Your brand is unique. Highlight that through good website content! Keep these 5 things in mind the next time you’re thinking of adding content to your website. Believe it or not, the words on your website are what really lead people to click your call-to-action. If you need help creating a polished product that represents your brand, contact us at Business Builders. We specialize in websites and marketing, and our in-house copywriter oversees the written content on all projects.