Your content must align with the goal of your website. You need good content that is effective. Your content needs to guide visitors to follow your call to action. Below are 5 keys to creating effective content.
Readability
Your content should have a casual, friendly quality. Make your content easy for anyone to read. Sentences and paragraphs should be short. If you see large patches of text, split them up. Even difficult topics should be written so anyone can understand.
If your website is hard to read or understand, people will leave and look for a site that they can understand. Having visitors leave isn’t what you want.
Relevance
Keep your content specific. Your content should focus on solving your visitor’s problems. It’s all about providing value! However, you need to understand what your visitors want. Once you know what they want, you can deliver it.
Why does relevance matter? – People search online for content with specific problems and questions. To be relevant, your content needs to address your visitors issues.
Uniqueness
Your content needs to be yours. Put yourself–your personality–into your content. Never copy other people’s content unless you have permission.
The idea is to put your “flavor” or put your spin on the topic. For example, you can approach the subject from a different angle. Creating content with your tone and experience will also help it be unique.
Why? – There is lots of content out there that says the same thing. If yours is unique, it will grab people’s attention.
Expertise
Let your knowledge and experience show in your content. Share your expertise with your readers. Teach your visitors; they will appreciate it. Your readers will appreciate your expertise and likely want your help.
Do your best to produce quality content. Reducing spelling errors and use appropriate grammar. If you struggle with writing, don’t let this stop you. We find errors in books all the time.
Why? – Your reader needs to trust you. Presenting yourself as an expert is an excellent way to frame yourself and gain a large, strong following.
Urge the Reader to Take Action
The best content urges the reader to do something. In your case you want them to engage with your website. You want them to take a particular action.
At the close of your content, tell them what step to take next. The next action might be joining your email list, calling for an appointment or getting an estimate. The point is that your content leads visitors to take the next step.
Why? – Because if you don’t ask, they probably don’t do it.
By following the above guidelines, you will create better content. Content that helps your visitors trust you. Content that shows your visitors the next step.
Photo credit: Thanks for the photo, rawpixel!