Website Content

Overcoming the fear of the blank page!

Website Content is a major stumbling block for many website projects!

The aim today is to give you some starting points to get the ball rolling.

ABOUT ME

Website content is not just a brain dump of all the information about a company!

You need to put yourself in the position of the user and provide the info they really need!

• You have to grasp the level of understanding of the user.  
• How much jargon/technical language do they need to know?  Certain language a company uses everyday would be alien to others.
• Is a combination of everyday and technical language required? A simple homepage and more technical service pages?

SPEAK THE USERS' LANGUAGE

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR?

• Certain words and phrases need to be included within the content.
• Location can be important.  
• Words and phrases need to be part of natural flow of the content, not stuffed in anywhere!
• Think about what people would be searching for around the topic.  

WHAT PROBLEMS DO YOU SOLVE?

• Website should not just be a list of services.  How do you help?
• Determine what motivates users to visit the website.
• Stress how you make life better for the user.  What value you bring.
• E.g for an IT specialist don't just have boxes on the homepage for Repairs, Hosting, Support packages.  Reframe it to be; Is your laptop broken?, Are your servers slow?, Paying too much for IT support?

WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT?

• Some companies sell the same type of products.  Website content needs to highlight why a user should choose you over a competitor. 
• What are you doing that no one else does?
• Could be that the company is smaller, family run, one point of contact? Do you take the stress away from a process?
• What experience do you have that is unique to you?

EXAMPLE - BLINDS COMPANY

• Part of the price is the measure and fit. 
• Blinds made in their own workshop.
• They have a 5 year guarantee.
• Many of their customers have blinds that have lasted 20 years and even then just need small repairs.
• The PRICE is more but the VALUE is greater.

Blinds can be bought from lots of places online and B & Q etc.

THINK ABOUT THE TYPE OF CONTENT FOR EACH PAGE

• The homepage should draw people in and send them in the right direction to get more information.
• Your service pages can contain more detail, they focus on how your service works.  
• Your about page shows your credibility and experience.
• Make sure there are Calls To Action.  Make it clear how to find out more, check out your credibility through case studies, or find out your expertise through blog posts.

HELPING NOT SELLING!

• Use case studies and blog posts to show your knowledge and expertise.  
• Highlight your credibility and back up your claims.
• Blog posts can answer questions that people have and may be searching for.  
• Great way to add more useful pages to your search results.  
• Share this information on social media to make it work hard for you. 

Show and Tell

EXAMPLE - BATHROOMS COMPANY

• ​Great example of work completed
• Pinpoints location so easy to find in search engines.
• Detail products used.  Companies happy to share this info with their followers.

DON'T FORGET

• Always keep the end user in mind when writing.  Don't use language they won't understand.
• Focus on what they really need to know.
• Don't just list services, always highlight the value that a company provides, stand out from the crowd!
• Use case studies and blog posts to show your knowledge and expertise.

• Claire@thedigitalgrapevine.co.uk
• www.thedigitalgrapevine.co.uk
• https://www.facebook.com/thedigigrape/
• Twitter @thedigigrape

Thank you for listening!

Good luck!