How Good is My Content?

At Plaudit Design our biggest project challenges usually stem from content delivery. We create websites with a great deal of care using sitemaps, wireframes, an incredibly talented graphic design team, professional development, Internet marketing optimizations and a homegrown content management system for website visitors to manage their site themselves.

However, when it comes to content there are always challenges. Even if your site has content – and good content – it does not always mean that the content will work on a redesigned website. But first and foremost you should ask yourself "How Good Is My Content?"

Ultimately when you are redesigning your website you have a goal. Goals often range from improving visibility, enhancing credibility to measuring conversions. No matter how great the website looks, if the website content is not quality then the website it simply will not satisfy your goals! In fact poor content can lead to the website becoming a handicap , not an effective marketing tool.

Plaudit Design offers a lot of services to help you succeed – including site planning, keyword research, content inventories, Internet marketing research – but it all depends on solid collaboration and communication. So where do you start? What is good content?

Good content grabs your readers attention. Good content easily presents what you do and why you're the best at it. GREAT content grabs readers attention without readers even realizing it. It gives website visitors a chance to care about what you have to say and allows you to engage them by establishing an emotional, rational and pivotal connection. The goal of your content is to have impact! Ask yourself what you want to get out of your website. Does your content match up?

Try taking a good hard read through of your content. Does it have impact? Does your content clearly explain what the site visitor is supposed to do after they read the content? Driving action means driving action to your business and it starts with your content.

We always tell clients that we can design the website so that it is aesthetically pleasing, has the functionality website visitors demand and has the visibility in search engines to drive valuable traffic. However, these benefits can often be negated due to poor content. We can help you with planning, writing or editing your content but the first step is gauging how successful your your content really is.

People skim. People don't read. So what content do you really need?

Your content needs:

• Headlines - Headlines help visitors immediately understand what is found on the page. A good headline will seduce site visitors into reading more and help them understand that the page is worth investigating, reading and acing upon.
• Strong sentences - Start with a conclusion by revealing facts, using actionable phrases (like "How to..."), use a relevant quote, guarantee the product or even give a direct command. Other sentences include creating a need and showing how your service fulfills it, as a thought proving question or even focus on your main benefits.
• Bulleted lists - A solid list helps you disseminate information quickly and efficiently.
• Captions - Captions help summarize a page, give a framework for understanding and allow site visitors to quickly learn what a page has to offer. A great example of the use of captions can be found on Tenet Paintings website ( http://www.tenetpainting.com/minnesota-painters.html )
• Quotes - There is a lot of false information on the Internet. A quote from an expert or relevant stakeholder will help you gain trust quickly. Testimonials help you gain trust through respected stakeholders.

Does your content use a style?

Have you used present tense and actionable wording rather than past tense? Using present tense and action statements can help convince your website visitors to take action! This will also lead to clear, strong sentences.

Have you used humor and personality? Does your content flow from page to page with cohesive, compelling and persuasive messaging?

Do you use a lot of jargon? Remember that the majority of readers are not in your industry and may not understand your technical terms. For example, Rotochopper ( http://www.rotochopper.com/ ) makes “Horizontal Diesel Grinders.” Do you know what these are? Probably not, which is why their website talks about “industrial grinders” or “industrial wood chippers.” Be accessible!

Will your content convert site visitors to customers?

Does your content clearly explain your benefits? Why is your business better than your competitors? What's your value proposition?

Your content should take what you do, explain why you are the best at it and drive visitors to complete the action you want. Without clear, concise content your biggest metric will be a “bounce rate.”

Here are some questions:

• When skimming your content can you discover what the website visitor should do next?
• Who are your website visitors? Be focused on the user, not on yourself.
• What do they think before they look at a page of content?
• What would a visitor take away from your content?
• What's the incentive? Why should the site visitor care about it?