If on the other hand, you're not totally satisfied with your site, or you don't have a website yet, perhaps this article will help you at least get some direction. This is not the be-all, end-all article. No website article is. There are just too many factors to consider. Let's look at a few.
The answer to these questions will determine how important SEO is, the type and number of pages that make the most sense and even what layout may work best.
After you get a grasp of the overall objectives, think about content. Don't get hung up on the detail, just make a list or outline of the following:
A mistake many an entrepreneur makes is to fill their site with flash and graphics. People don't visit your business website to be entertained or visually stimulated (unless, of course, you're in the entertainment or visual stimulation business). They either want to know how to get in touch with you or learn more about you and your products or services. In the latter case they're trying to decide whether to do business with you (or not).
Most websites have an About us page. Typically, this will be first-person friendly or third-person formal. Decide whether you ("John Smith") would rather say "When I started this business, I . . ." or "When John Smith started this business, he . . .". There's no right or wrong, only style preference.
Which brings us to the next point. Deciding
how you want to say things. We copywriters refer to the
how as style and tone. Style refers to the words and word forms. For example,
"I'm sure you'd like to know about our 30-day money-back guarantee. Here's how it works".
versus:
"You may be interested in our 30-day money back guarantee. Allow me to explain the details."
The first statement is conversational and informal. The second, more formal. Conversational is usually better since it matches the way you'd talk to someone face to face. The more formal your business, the more formal the style.
Tone involves the words as well (naturally), but it should reflect how you interact with your customers in person or on the phone. For example, if you're fun-loving and don't take yourself too seriously, you'll use words that convey that. If you're all business, get down to details, get the job done, generally more serious - you want to use words with that tone.
There's a fine line between using your preferred style and tone and matching it to your audience. Typically, this will work itself out based on what your product or service is, how your customers buy from you and the business and people values you have in place. Think relationship building. The more you connect with your customers and prospects, the stronger the relationship becomes (and the more they buy).
As to specific website content, you absolutely must have:
- Your contact information prominently displayed, at least phone number and email (with a link), preferably in the banner area - on every page.
- Navigation buttons (vertical or horizontal) that are easy to understand and visibly clear. Don't make people search all over for what they want.
- Call to action - make that calls with an 's'. This might include a form requesting a quote, special offers (changed as needed), free samples or a gift incentive for signing up for your newsletter. If you don't have a newsletter, try building a preferred customer email list that comes with discounts and special offers. Be creative and make the calls easy to spot and even easier to use. Like I said above, forget weak action calls ("Please let us know if we can be of service" - or "Feel free to . . ."). Yuk and double yuk! Don't ever use "feel free". It's old, worn and silly.
Here are some other tips and suggestions.
According to one web expert, the ideal length for a page of web copy on a regular web site (not a landing page) is 300 words. Half of your visitors will read a 300-word page to the end, while only about 5% will scan 1,000 words. Don't get too hung up on an exact number. Say enough to get your message across, but be concise. And, don't try to fool Google with unnecessary repetition.
Headlines should be 4 to 8 words, sentences 15 to 20 words, and paragraphs 40 to 70 words. Again, these are guidelines, not absolutes.
Don't embed too many hyperlinks within the body copy. That just makes it more difficult to read. Put links in the side columns or separate them from the main text.
San serif fonts like Helvetica, Arial and Verdana are best and easier to read then the old Times Roman serif-style fonts. Bob Bly, a copywriting guru and communications expert, says the most common error in web page design is using too small a type size. He suggests using at least 12-point type with headings and sub-headings 14 or 16 points.
It amazes me how many sites are difficult to read. Why in the name of cyberspace would you make your site hard to read with tiny fonts and light color text on light background - or the opposite, dark on dark? Actually, I know why, but you'll have to ask me!
SEO - making sure your website gets a high ranking from the search engines (primarily Google) is a topic (or two) for another time. Suffice it to say (here) that search ranking involves a bunch of different factors. Google analyzes text and HTML tags, not images, to determine a sites search ranking. Although copy is king, where key search words are placed, both in the copy and in the HTML code, is very important. Links from and to your site greatly influence the ranking. Length of time the site has been available and how often it's changed are also factors.
In summary, if you want a website that ranks high with Google and gets sales results, you need professionals to help you build or rebuild it. Too many business owners are willing to sacrifice time (that may be put to better use) to save money. Yes, there are lots of tools out there to build and maintain your own site. If that's the best use of your time and you're willing to experiment with keyword analytics, adword campaigns and other marketing strategies, go for it.
Just remember, it will take a lot more time than you're told by the "experts" who say you can do it yourself. If you want results quicker and more sustainable, get professional help. If you go with a large internet marketing firm, you'll pay a lot more, but you'll get all the help in one place. If you use specialist small business owners, know this: Web developers are seldom good at design or writing copy. Designers and copywriters are seldom good at building the site (i.e writing the HTML code). Ask them! If they're honest, they'll tell you what they're good at and have recommendations for the parts they're not so good at.
If you remember only one thing from this article, it's this. Do your research and make sure you understand what's involved. Maybe that's two things. Anyway, knowing what you want to accomplish and how to get there is critical to website success. Good luck.
