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Posts Tagged with “content marketing”

September 24, 2012
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How to Attract Customers Researching Your Industry

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Specific, well thought-out content is important for a business website.

If you’re looking to attract new customers with your website then you need content that will work to achieve this goal. You know that putting minimal effort into your website content will yield minimal results yet for some reason content gets put out of mind when it comes time to actually do the writing.

We tend to focus on the design, which is important, but we don’t want to lose focus on the content. When it comes to attracting customers the design and the content need to work together.

When we talk about attracting customers it’s important to realize there are a few different types of customers that are using the Internet to find information. For your business there are a few points along the sales funnel where your target customer will be.

First, there are customers out there that don’t even realize they need something. They might have a problem or an inconvenience, but they aren’t actively looking for a solution.

Second, there are customers looking for a solution. These customers are researching the problem they have and they’re looking for any information that can help.

Third, there are customers that have found a solution or two and are looking at comparables to make sure they are making the right decision.

For this post we’ll focus on customers that are in the research stage of the funnel. These folks are looking for solutions.

Here is how you can attract their attention.

Attract Researching Customers with Website Content

You’ve probably done research online before. Most people look to Google when they are looking for something. For the person that is researching solutions they have come to realize that something in their life is really getting out of control. They want more convenience or they want to eliminate that nagging issue. They go to Google or they ask a friend for a referral for something that might work.

Your goal, as a business owner with a website, is to be there when your target customer is in this stage of making a purchase.

Here are three steps to being there when your customers are searching for solutions.

First, create long service pages. A few months ago we talked about long form content on websites. When creating your selling content think about the conversations you have with prospective customers in real life. Think about the questions they ask and use your answers for the content on the website. Usually this process makes it easier to write content and you’ll be surprised at how long the pages will actually get on your site and that’s okay. The people that read long web pages are the people that actually pay for things.

Second, write point of view articles about the latest news. When people hear about certain industries or certain solutions they start researching. Usually the industry is new to these folks so they’re looking for information on how they should interpret things. This is where you can come in and provide your point of view on specific topics. When people are searching for things they’ll find your articles and visit your site. These articles build trust and show how you position yourself as a company.

Third, write how-to articles. Some people call this evergreen content. Others call it informational content. Whatever you call it the basic idea is to write the kind of content that gives direction on the basics in your industry. Some people in this stage of research like to think they can do something themselves. They look for how-to information with the idea that they can do it, but as they read more information or as they try to fix things they realize they need help. That’s when they remember that you’ve provided great information. They trust you. They call you up and make a purchase. How-to articles are also great for sharing on social sites. When people discover something useful they tend to share it with peers. That means more referral and word of mouth for your company.

Those are three ways you can attract customers that are researching and looking for specific solutions. Focus on these types of content on your website and you should see your website getting more traffic from search engines and social sharing sites like Twitter and Facebook.

June 8, 2012
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Why Good Content is Critical for Your Website’s Success

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It’s always exciting for a new business website to launch. Even businesses that already have websites understand that a website is never really finished. The website is a living entity that needs updating. A website is always going through minor design tweaks and changes.

Something that happens when businesses get involved in website projects is the focus tends to lean heavily toward the design. It’s understandable. We all love looking at beautiful things including websites.

There is something that gets lost, though, in the design process.

Why Good Content is Critical for Website Success

Content is commonly overlooked during website projects. We get caught up in the design elements like colors and graphics and buttons that we forget to focus on the content like descriptions, headings, and even photos. In reality, the content is just as important and in some cases it’s more important than the design.

Ok. I won’t say that content is more important than the design. The two are equally important for a website to become successful and achieve results. But content is often getting pushed aside and that’s something that can derail your website project if you don’t pay attention.

Content Tells Your Story

Why are you creating a website?

Most websites are created to represent you or your company when you can’t be there. You want people to purchase something from you and when you aren’t available to sell it to those people face-to-face you need something to replace you. Since people spend time online a website makes sense.

Think about how you start relationships with your customers. you probably start by asking questions and getting to know their story. Next you probably tell them your story and weave in details about how you and your company can provide some answers and possibly solutions for their problems. The process involves you telling your story, but the focus remains on the other person, the potential customer.

The story you tell in person needs to be represented on your website. In order to do this you need content.

When focusing on content most of the time we think of textual content. Text is certainly a big part of the content strategy puzzle, but don’t forget about photos, graphics, and even videos. It is all forms of content and it all helps you tell your story to customers when they visit your site.

Your website is a storyteller when you’re not there to tell it. Use the design and the content as your storyteller. Focus on the words that need to be shared and the images that can enhance the story. Also remember to focus on the needs of the customer. You’re telling a story, but it’s not always about you. It’s about the issues the customer has and how you can help them.

Influential Content Sells

In the beginning, the marketing model was to broadcast as loud as possible any campaign or promotion. Since the web has taken over, customers now have the ability to interact with your content. The web is no longer about transactions, but long-term relationships.

You probably have goals for your website. Most often the goal is to sell more of something. You want to appeal to Internet users and have an entity available at all times. Thus you hire a company to design and create your website. But design alone cannot sell your products and services.

You need good content.

The headlines, descriptions, images, etc. are all working to sell to your website visitors. It makes sense to start focusing on the content as the driver of the sales on your website. Design plays an important role, but equal focus needs to be put into the development of the content.

Developing Influential Content

It actually makes sense to start your website project with the content strategy first.

Most designers will agree that a project is easier when the content strategy and the content is ready before the design is started. This means you’ll have to work on the content prior to having thoughts about the design.

When developing website content you’re actually focusing on a content strategy. This goes back to telling your story. Consider your current customers or your target customers. What are their issues? Use their issues and concerns to create content (headings, descriptions, explanations, photos, etc.) that builds a relationship of trust with them. It’s weird to think about a website having the ability to build a relationship with someone, but really the website is just an extension of you. Website visitors read your content and trust is built. Ultimately the goal is to have that relationship lead to a sale. When people trust you and you have something to help them they are happy to pay you for it.

Focus on your story, your selling goals and remeber to consider your end user experience.

Overall be sure to think about content just as much as you think about the design of your website.

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