A website.
Nearly every business has one, but not all use it to its full capacity. You can think of your website as a basic building block in your marketing strategy, but in reality, it’s so much more.
It’s a lead generation tool.
It’s a storytelling platform.
It’s a place where you can share anything and everything about your business.
As a digital marketing agency, getting your message seen and enticing people to respond to it are our primary objectives. No matter your industry, an engaging, easy-to-follow site is critical to capture users’ interest.
There are a few must-knows regarding your website development. For instance, the color scheme and fonts should align with your brand. You’ll also need the right website design to ensure your site stands out from the competition.
But the real differentiator between an average website and a world-class site isn’t necessarily the design; it’s the website content.
You might have heard it before, but let us reiterate: content is king. Content is the messaging behind your brand. It reflects the words on your website, the captions on your social media posts, and the catchy emails that your audience can’t help but click.
You need the right website content to tell your company’s story and put a persona to your brand. But the importance of website content writing goes far beyond getting people to learn about your business.
According to HubSpot, website traffic is a leading metric for your content marketing efforts. We know it can be confusing to track ROI for some marketing activities, but website traffic is a clear way to see how many people have eyes on your brand, which can help with monitoring conversions.
Content is key to bringing in viewers. The more interesting and relevant your writing is, the more likely people are to link to it. That’ll inspire others to click on your site, which can make people check out your offerings.
But let’s be honest: just any ole content isn’t the goal. You need unique, high-quality content that resonates with your target audience and increases conversions.
How do you do this? Simple. Besides finding a quality website content writer, you’ll want to identify short-tail and long-tail keywords that your target audience is searching for online.
You’ll want to include a keyword in each title and meta description to make the most of your on-page SEO. It’s also essential to include keywords in tags, graphics, and videos so that the search engines can identify what each page is about and help you rank for relevant terms on Google.
Just remember that while you might use keywords in your website content, all your writing should flow off the tongue and be natural. Avoid keyword stuffing, as it’s outdated and, frankly, can do your site an injustice.
Linking to related content on other pages on your site can help build your domain authority while you’re at it. It also helps to utilize the proper headings. In general, H1 is for titles, H2 is for supporting headings, and H3 is for subheadings.
A picture might be worth a thousand words, and the right content can sell just as well. The key is to write each page based on where your target audience is in the buying journey.
Ask yourself:
Airbnb is a good example of selling services on the Web. While they’re known for vacation rentals, they’re also famous for hosting “experiences.” This can mean activities (e.g., everything from cooking to DJing), but it can also mean the experience of inviting others into your home. They sell the opportunity by highlighting other hosts, providing easy steps to get started, and explaining possible income based on your listing.
They even provide a rebuttal for those concerned about safety. (You’ll have host insurance for every booking.) They also advise on cleaning during the pandemic to keep you and future guests in good hands.
The host page ends with a clear call-to-action (“Get started”), making it easy to begin your journey with Airbnb. With a clean design, good flow, and strategically placed content, Airbnb guides you through just what you need to do to become a host.
The best website designs vary by industry. In general, though, a good website should have these pages:
You might already know the importance of content. It shows thought leadership and educates or entertains your audience. Website content is one facet of your content development strategy that requires sufficient time and careful planning.
If you’re not a writer, that’s okay. We craft words for websites right here at BrandCraft and would be happy to do so for you. But sometimes, it’s helpful to have a few pointers so that you can pass your website vision onto your marketing agency.
That means getting down to the basics. Think about who would benefit from your products or services. Is it a busy mom, a sports fan, or a business owner? Perhaps, it’s a food delivery service or a local boutique.
Before developing your website content, investigate your target audience in-depth so that you have a thorough understanding of who they are, what they do, how they spend their time, where they go, and why your products or services would come in handy.
To go up against others in your industry, it’s good to know where you stand. Take a look at their sitemap, content style and structure, blog topics, and general website design to see how you can improve yours.
Just one suggestion: don’t feel like you have to evaluate hundreds of competitors. A few direct competitors in your industry in your area (if you’re targeting local customers) are good places to start.
Nailing down your objective for each page can save you time and keep your content and mission clear. We recommend developing a sitemap so that you know what pages to prioritize. When it comes to writing website content for specific pages, ask yourself:
Nothing says “bounce rate” like wordy, technical language. Lay off the jargon, and write in layman’s terms so that the average person can understand.
Think of it this way: if you’re a dental practice owner, you know your way around teeth. Words such as “quadrant” and “apex” might come naturally to you, but that isn’t the case for everyone. It’s best to stick to words using a sixth to eighth-grade reading level.
No matter the page, it’s best to break up the writing into sentences of varying lengths and short paragraphs. Also, consider that in most website designs, content is stacked. That means you’ll save yourself time down the road if you organize your website content into strategic paragraphs that can be color coated and spread out on each web page.
A report by Adobe highlights exactly why quality content is important. They found that your website content writing needs to be organized well and written in simple terms to keep your audience engaged.
In fact, 38 percent of viewers will leave a site if the content structure looks off, according to the findings. Approximately 35 percent of viewers may change to their mobile device or desktop, so make sure your website is optimized for both, and the content displays well on all platforms.
Your brand voice is everything from the words you use online to the phrases you incorporate on product packaging and marketing materials. You have to inject personality into your brand so that your target audience can connect to it. That means deciding on the personality traits that you want your target audience to see.
That’s not to say that you’re stuck with the same brand voice forever. It can evolve over time as you’re in business longer or as you change ownership or rebrand.
If you have an established business, you likely already have a brand voice. A massage therapist might focus on relaxing language while a manufacturing company might take on a good neighbor persona, simplifying complex language into something the average Joe can relate to and understand.
Yoke’s Fresh Market is a good example of a relatable brand voice. They’re a great place to shop for healthy foods in Washington and Idaho. Their website includes tasty recipes to give people ideas on what they can make with ingredients from the store. They also emphasize the value of giving back, which is a part of their brand persona (local, healthy, and helpful).
Sure, spelling and grammar checks are important. They ensure your message gets across right the first time, and your brand looks professional. But don’t forget to edit your content for other elements while checking for typos and punctuation errors.
These questions can help guide your editing process:
With all the marketing advice at our fingertips, one thing is for sure: content is key. It’s the foundation of your website development, which can help you reel in new, loyal customers.
Your website content should be simple yet effective. It’s best to write in plain terms so that your target audience knows what your site is about, why they’re there, and what actions they should take.
The structure is everything in website content writing. That means that breaking up your content so that it’s easy to read and making sure it answers your audience’s questions should be your primary goals. A good content development plan is key.
Whether you’re revamping an old site or generating a new one, BrandCraft can help with all your content needs. Contact us today for a free consultation.
