Writing good web content

So, without getting into a big cliché, your website is your most important tool. It’s true that companies still often favour good old traditional company profiles that their workforce can sit across a desk and show their clients. But while the old ways still work, the power of content marketing still lies in your online presence.

But when designing your website, your web content is number one and here’s why:

Keep your web content first

You’ll notice we’ve used the terminology ‘web content’ rather then ‘websites’. Clearly these work in tandem – there’s no web design without content and vice versa. But in terms of how a website is built, it’s not so much a case of chicken and egg as it is a matter of practicality. A website is first and foremost a practical tool – to find out the information you need quickly.

Too often, a client will present a copywriting company or freelancer with a designed website to then write the content around. This is always restricting and compromises the potential integrity of the content. It means fitting in with a structure that may not be the right one. A website should consider content/structure first and building your graphic design around it.

The attention span of web visitors is a few seconds at best. There is nothing more frustrating than waiting minutes before a website opens because of flashy effects, and most visitors won’t bother. They’ll be gone before your website has even opened. They want to see what you do and how you can help them – through your web content.

Keep your web content simple and relevant

You’ve heard the expression ‘keep it simple’. This is no truer than constructing your web structure and content. This is both in terms of the number of pages and how you write your content. Like in many things, the ‘less is more’ rule applies here. Say what you have to say to get the message across. Web visitors do not want to read reams of content. They’ll switch off in a nano-second and visit someone else’s site.

Keep your web content original

Regurgitating the same or other people’s content isn’t going to do it. Web search algorithms reward originality. They want to see fresh and engaging content on the web to keep it informative and interesting. Write something new and don’t plagiarise or copy. Even within you own web content, don’t duplicate – between a web page and blog for example. Keep it different and keep it fresh – then the search engines will love you.

Keep your web content optimised

You will have heard the ‘keyword’ phrase countless times. Key words are important of-course – select the ones that are most important to your business. But don’t swamp. Overuse of keywords are counterproductive. Remember, keep your content engaging and original. Weave your keywords in for sure, but don’t make your web content a complete keyword exercise to the extent that it sounds unnatural and boring.

Keep you web content updated

Update your content on a regular basis. As your business changes, there will be new things you can write or post. Blog on a regular basis – but once you set your blogging strategy make sure you maintain it. There’s nothing worse than seeing a blog that was last posted a year ago. As you win new projects, write case studies and ask your clients for testimonials you can post. You’ll provide some great credentials for your new prospective clients and the search engines will love you for your efforts.