You Have A Web Site Design . . .
"What do I put on my Web site?"
Adding content to your Web site.
A quick search on Google® for the phrase "website content" turned up half a billion hits, possibly proving the adage, "content is king". It certainly demonstrates a frequently asked question of most new Web siteowners, "What do I put on my Web site?"
There are many factors to consider when choosing Web site content-from your intentions for your Web site to the messages you are trying to communicate to your visitors.
For example, are you planning to use your Web site for sales transactions, i.e., e-commerce? If so, your Web site content will probably include photos of your products, item descriptions, prices, a "Buy Now" button, etc. Are you planning to use your Web site as an extension of a physical store? Then you'll probably want content such as information about your store, directions and maps to your physical location, photos of your products, customer testimonials, and more.
If content is king, then quality is queen
Whatever the use for your new Web site, keep in mind the most critical element in creating the content on the pages: quality. From the minute people sign on to their computers to the minute they shut down, your visitors are reading content. They're reading e-mail messages, professional articles found on online media, and information on Web sites. Visitors have become very critical of the copy they're reading and they will judge your Web site by the quality of your copy writing.
Don't forget to use:
- correct grammar and spelling
- consistent tone and style
- helpful information
If you're not comfortable writing your own Web site content, you may want to enlist the help of a professional copywriter. At least ask someone to proof your work before you publish it to the Internet.
Content also includes graphics and links to other Web sites and other sources of information. When laying out your copy, keep in mind that most visitors to your Web site will scan the page first before reading copy in detail. Use bullet points and subheads to aid in this scanning and to highlight the strong points you wish to convey.
How does content affect being found online?
If you haven't given much thought to how content affects your results on search engines, now's the time to ask yourself, "What content do I put on my Web site to make sure it turns up on Google® or Yahoo® and it turns up near the top of the search results?" To bring visitors to your Web site, you have to be found online.
In addition to adding links on your Web site to other Web sites with related content, you now need to consider the "keywords" which describe your Web site. Keywords are the terms and phrases visitors use on
search engines such as Google® to find information on the Internet. For example, enter the phrase "running shoes" at a search engine and you should see pages of results based on these keywords pointing to Web
sites that have something to do with "running shoes."
Think about your products and services and the types of keywords a visitor would use to find what you offer online. Then, when developing your Web site copy, plan to incorporate these same keywords.
You could do research on the Internet to determine keywords related to your industry, or you could hire search engine optimization experts to help you find the most optimal keywords for your Web site. A3Woods
offers a number of services to help you determine keywords and to analyze your Web site for design elements which may be preventing you from being found online.
Content is gathered; now design your Web Site
Once you have a handle on your keywords and you have quality copy, you need to pull everything together in a graphically pleasing Web site design. You can do so by hiring a Web site design expert from a company like A3Woods Consulting.
We will design your Web site for layout and colors, and add content such as photos, text, message boards,
guest books, counters, and more. We will take all those great keywords you've developed and complete the "submit to search engines". You'll also need to write a brief description of your Web site which also incorporates your keywords.
Go live on the Internet!
- Edit your copy for correct spelling and grammar
- Check that all your links to other Web sites are working
- Preview your Web site design
If all looks good, you're ready to share your new Web site with the world! Remember to return to update your Web site frequently - fresh content is not only useful to your visitors, but is vital to your ability to continually be found by the search engines.
Other Resources
The Internet is stocked with articles on how to incorporate quality content on your Web site. To start your own research, you can read some excellent articles on setting up a Web site at www.entrepreneur.com --
the online version of Entrepreneur magazine.
