Thursday, September 30, 2010

Mapping Out Your Website Content Strategy

Every good plan needs a strategy to be carried out effectively. Even something as seemingly simple as creating website content needs a workable plan or a schedule. You might be surprised to learn how many promotional efforts have been derailed by one missed deadline. It’s not necessary to go full tilt if you are just starting out, as navigating the content waters can be tricky for newbies. Start with something you can manage, or better yet, seek out experienced website content providers to get your website noticed.

A Basic Content Strategy

We’re not all born to be writers, turning a phrase at the drop of a hat. Often we do know what we want to say but need some help getting the words out. Whether you are proficient at writing or not, nothing can be done without a basic plan. A few steps in outlining your strategy could include:

  1. Identify your audience – it is easy to create superior web content when you understand who you are targeting.
  2. Make a keyword list – the keywords are the focal point of content writing. They help search engines find and index your website or blog.
  3. Set a schedule – this is an important aspect of website content development. You have to have set times for updating content and it is important to meet those deadlines. Regular visitors will lose interest if they don’t see new information when it is supposed to be there.
Using a Content Management Company

Many companies and individuals sometimes turn to freelancers and companies to create compelling content. This is a cost effective way to generate website traffic. Some content providers work on a contractual basis to develop an interesting website. They not only write regular articles, but also develop and post your blog entries.

Your content management strategy must be part of your overall promotional efforts. When properly done, content preparation can boost your website ranking and create more traffic. In fact you could save a great deal of money on other types of advertising.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Putting Your Website to Work

A website is one of the most cost effective promotional tools available today. Like any other tool however, it must be properly used to produce results. The term content management has experienced increased awareness among website owners and designers. Unfortunately, many website owners are still unaware of how effective content can propel their websites to the kind of heights they hope for.

The Importance of Content

Think of website content as a component of a fully functioning, albeit imperfect system. Websites struggle for page ranking on search engines, and generally the top hits tend to get the most visitors. Of course some website owners use other means such as social media marketing to get their content noticed. Some businesses pay to have their websites advertised on other sites or in the media, but not everyone can afford this.

If your budget is tight, and your social media efforts have not yet taken hold there are simple steps you can take to improve website traffic such as:

  • Update your content often. This boosts your ranking on search engines making it easier for people to find you.
  • Be aware of what is happening in your industry. This makes it easy to keep website content fresh, and gives visitors the information they need. They won’t keep coming back if you have the same information posted for weeks.
  • Write a blog. This has been successfully done by many website owners who link the blog to content on their websites. A good blog helps to popularize the website.
  • Make your content relevant. If you sell clothes you could offer tips on caring for them. Computer retailers could provide troubleshooting tips and other useful bits of advice to customers and prospective buyers.

Building website traffic is not easy, especially with so many sites competing for attention. In fact, many business owners turn to professional developers to provide the kind of engaging content which provides hits. If your website traffic is sluggish don’t give up just yet. With a little help you could have the kind of superior web content that is now helping many websites to get noticed and make money.