Online Content Writing – The 7 Essentials

Websites these days need good quality content. The days of the online brochure are long gone. Your website business, or any business for that matter, needs a website that is resource as well as a sales tool. Website content is the most important part of your site!
Here are 7 ways to make sure your website content is working at its best:
1. Have a clear home page
On the home page tell people who you are and what your business does. Make sure your writing immediately captures your visitors’ eye and keeps them on the page. Don’t waste words on ‘Welcome to…..’ Put the vital information about your business right at the top of the page so people read it first.
2. Update your site regularly
Search engines like content that changes. Websites that you build yourself or can manage yourself are great because you can update the content regularly. You can test and measure and you can change what’s not working. Blogs are good because you can write them frequently and they help with your search engine ranking.
3. Tell your customers about benefits
Make sure you let people know about the benefits they get from your business. Many businesses tend to tell readers about themselves – readers are only interested in what a business can do for them.
4. Don’t waste words
Website writing is not like print. People simply won’t read more than they need to. Your writing has to be concise and tight and clear. Waffle and padding will turn off readers and they’ll be gone in under 10 seconds.
5. Use your keywords
Take the time to find out the keywords your customers and prospects use in their searches and put them into your writing. Simple as that. Google and Wordtracker (offers a free trial) are two places you can start doing this.
6. Make your site user-friendly
Visit you site and pretend you’re a customer. Is it easy to find your way around?Is it easy to buy something? Can you find the vital information you need? Are the contact details obvious? I’ve been to many sites where it took me ages just to find out how to contact them.
7. Check your tone
Read through your website content, in fact, read it out loud and see what it sounds like. Does the tone of the writing fit with the feel of your business? If your business is upbeat and friendly make sure your tone is too. If your business is formal then don’t write in a chatty style.
Your website represents you and your business to the world so it’s important to spend the time and get it right. It’ll make all the difference to getting and keeping your customers.