Posts tagged web writing

The One Thing Your Competition Can't Buy

Many companies don’t even realize that their email list of contacts is the most valuable piece of data they own. It provides a low cost and instantaneous communication channel to many of the most important people to their success. And unlike other more traditional marketing, it can provide real-time, measurable results.

You have probably heard that it is far less expensive to keep a customer than to acquire a new one. This holds true for most other groups, associations and non-profits also.

And your email newsletter can help you communicate and stay “top of mind” with current business relationships – and increase retention – while also allowing you to share knowledge and promotions with prospects, too.

It’s all about increasing the lifetime value of your contacts. Remember: Competitors can always buy their way into your market – and match your pricing, your products and services, and even the “look and feel” of your brands or organization.

But the one thing they can’t purchase? Your relationships.

Every E-newsletter you send helps solidify the connection between your organization and your customers, members, participants, clients, volunteers, donors… and even prospects!

Tips for Developing Your Online Content

When building your website and writing your content, it makes sense to have the end in mind from the beginning. What do you want visitors to do when they land on your website? What actions, if any, would you like them to take?

These answers will differ depending on your organization. Some websites are meant simply to inform or educate, while other sites are focused on generating sales or inquiries. But whatever your subject or the mission of your website, the first step is to provide compelling copy that visitors will actually read.

If you’re building a website or revising your current one, we’d be happy to help you develop the web copy. But if you decide to go it alone, here are some quick tips for writing your own online content:

Be brief: Most folks quickly scan the page anyway; most do not read every single word. If it looks like reading your content will be “work” for the reader, most people will pass! So get to the point.

Break it up: Use subheadings or bulleted lists to deliver your info in bite-sized chunks.

Stay on target: Try to stay focused on one or two main points per page, excepting landing pages or those (such as this one) that contain multiple blog entries.

Make use of white (blank) space: This helps make text stand out. The main Google page is a great example of this.

Finally, make sure your content is well-researched and accurate, and is free of grammatical errors and typos. This should seem obvious, but the sheer volume of information online means that many web pages will contain errors. You instantly begin to lose credibility readers this way, so don’t let that happen!

And though the goal of your site should be the desired visitor action or interaction, don’t forget you need to please the search engines too! This is mainly based on using the proper keywords or key phrases for your product, service or industry. This helps people discover your website in the first place, which is the goal of search engine optimization (SEO). If you don’t know what these keywords are, consult with a professional on what you should be including within your site to attract the most visitors.

Your Content is Only a Brochure Away

You have already heard us talk about how important your web content is. Great content can convert sales or inquiries from the current visitors to your site, and can also influence how many future visitors that you will have. And this website is filled with ways that you can create content. But for those on a tight budget, or for those that simply have enough time and desire to write content themselves, what are some ways you can use what you ALREADY have within your website?

Start by observing the content around you already. Take a look around your office, your branch or retail location. See any brochures? Sales flyers or media kits? Have you sent any press releases out recently (or even not so recently)? Do you publish an annual report? These are all great sources. This information can often be reworked or “repurposed” into web contributions. Create a simple blog within your website, and use what you have as a database of info to get started. Take this information and break it down into manageable bits. Blogs don’t need to be long to be effective!

Content can sometimes even be as simple as your product offerings. Some websites from well-known brands have very little visible copy on their home pages, yet still have great SEO scores – because their brands generate lots of “natural links” to their website.

Another great tactic is to simply publish your own E-Newsletter. Not only do you receive the direct benefit of delivering valuable information directly to your customers or prospects, but you can then take your E-news content and post it on your website or as part your blog. Now your content is working double duty for you!

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