In today’s Digitally-Driven World, having a Website is not just recommended for Businesses, but is a necessity. And while simply setting up a Website for your Small Business can be relatively straightforward if you engage the right professionals, maintaining it is a whole different story.
Many Small Business Owners miss the opportunity to increase their sales and revenue through their Websites, as they forget one of the major key elements that makes a Website convert visitors into sales: killer content. See, your Website may look visually-appealing to your visitors, but without great, engaging content, it’s unlikely to convert them into sales.
If you want to keep a good flow of traffic and create revenue for your Website, your content needs to be constantly updated and of a very high quality. If your Website’s content is riddled with spelling mistakes, doesn’t make sense, or isn’t cohesive with your branding, you’ll be losing potential customers by the bucket-load. Furthermore, having regularly updated, quality content aids in your Search Engine Optimisation efforts, seeing you rank higher in the Search Engine results than your competitors.
So, just how do you create this awesome, attention-grabbing, sales-generating content? Keep reading, because we’re about to reveal the secrets to creating killer content for your Small Business’s Website!
Just What is Strategic Website Content?
Before we dive in, let’s take a step back and look at what Website content, otherwise known as ‘Copywriting’, actually is. To give you a brief explanation, it covers all the text incorporated into your Site, including the text on your Homepage, as well as your other pages, such as your blog, client testimonials, Emails, product descriptions and any other written content. All of these Copywriting elements typically unite with one common goal: To generate sales, engage your customers and increase your brand awareness for your Business. Get it right, and you can achieve all this!
It Isn’t “JUST” Copywriting
Copywriting shouldn’t just be thought of as merely just “writing”. It is carefully crafted, persuasive content written with the specific intention of influencing, informing and enticing your Website visitor. By ensuring that you have Killer Web Content that people actually want to read and engage with, you’ll be making your Business more likable to your audience and increasing the chances that they’ll follow your Website’s sales funnel: from your Homepage, to your product or services page, then to the booking page or check out.
Why Web Content is Important
Your Website’s content should never be overlooked or neglected, as it is a major component in your sales Conversion process. And this is where most Businesses fall short. By ignoring their Website’s content, they’re passing up a huge opportunity to sell their products or services, as well as their brand.
Great Copywriting is also one of the best ways for you to position yourself as a trustworthy source of information for you target market. Artfully written, well-crafted content will raise your level of professionalism, and demonstrate your knowledge and skills as an industry leader. This is particularly helpful if you own a Small Business within industries that require a lot of trust, such as the Medical, Health or Financial Professions.
Baring all this in mind, here are the six C’s of Strategic Copywriting that are guaranteed to give you Killer Website Content.
1. Be Compelling
Your content should be appealing to your readers. And we don’t just mean mildly interesting, as this will likely only hold their interest for the first three lines of your Homepage.
You need content that is completely compelling, engaging and interesting. Tell your target audience exactly what they want to hear about, talk to them about things that interest them and capture their attention.
It’s important to remember that you need to sell your Business to them, but you shouldn’t attempt to do it in an overly ‘sales-y’ way. People don’t like being sold to, so make sure you always focus on the benefits of your products and what your potential customer has to gain from purchasing from you. If you do this, you’ll show your reader that you care about their individual needs and problems, which is far more persuasive than simply telling them to buy something.
2. Be Complete
Provide all the details you want your readers to know. If your Site visitors are left asking questions after they read your Website’s content, then they’re unlikely to purchase from you.
You want to erase any doubt in their minds and make the process of purchasing as simple and question-free as possible. Don’t wait for them to ask questions, provide all the things you think they will need. Once they see some information missing, whether that be shipping information or shop opening hours, it will be easy for them not to proceed with the buyer’s journey.
3. Be Clear
You don’t want to read something complex and hard to understand, so why would your potential customers? While you may be tempted to use industry jargon or technical terms, keep these to the absolute minimum, and use only when absolutely necessary!
By overcomplicating your content, you’ll simply alienate and frustrate your readers, seeing them fall into the hands of a competitor. Instead, use language that your audience is familiar with, that they will connect to and understand. This will not only endear them to your Business, but will make the entire process of engaging with your Site simple and hassle-free.
4. Be Concise
Nobody wants to read long paragraphs and huge chunks of text Online. Particularly if they are looking for a specific product to buy or service to employ.
You want to provide your visitors with content that is short, sharp and to the point. Pages and pages of waffle will seem like too much effort to your readers, who will simply click off your Site the moment they see it.
Killer Website content should grab their attention on the first few sentences, or even words, if you can manage it! And don’t wait until the very end of a paragraph to make your point, because at this stage only a small percentage of people will still be reading. Say what you want to say early on in the piece, and this will maximise your chances of conversion.
5. Be Correct
Your reputation is one of the most important things in your Business, so when creating great Website copy, you must always, always provide information that is correct. Don’t, and you run the risk of leaving a customer feeling betrayed or hoodwinked, as it only takes one bad review to deter other potential customers.
Make sure all the information about your products and services are sound, and ensure that you never copy content from another Business’s Website – or from anywhere for that matter! Doing so will completely destroy your Business’s professionalism and image of authority.
6. Make Sure They Care
Keep in mind that when your writing Web content, it isn’t only for you. Do your research and discover for yourself what your target market actually wants to read about. What do they care about? What do they want to know, and furthermore, how do they want to consume this information?
By doing thorough research about your market, you’ll be better positioned to write killer content that uses the same language as them, engages them and appeals to their particular habits and areas of interest.
Now that you’re armed with these 6 key areas of killer content writing, you’ll be better able to write captivating content that best communicates your Business, brand and products to your Website Visitors. More than just a few words on your Homepage, great content really is a huge component of effectively selling Online, and is something that should never be overlooked. So, now it’s your turn! Go out there and write some killer content for your Website!