From your home and about page to your blog, the content on your website must send out the right message to your target audience. It must attract people and turn interest into action. Clicks must become customers. And the only way to do that is with great website content.
Read on to discover the importance of high-quality website content, the benefits it holds for your business and the best way to achieve it.
Why good content is essential for your website
1. Build consumer trust
In a crowded market where there are so many companies to potentially do business with, consumers want reassurance. They need to know they can trust your brand to fulfil their needs.
A recent survey by Edelman found that for over 80% of consumers, brand trust is a contributing factor when making buyer decisions. Despite this, only 1 in 3 people trust the brands they currently use. That sounds like an opportunity to us!
Businesses can build trust with their target customers by providing value through quality website content. Give people what they want. Answer a question. Offer a solution. Teach someone how to do something they’re struggling with.
Over time, this will establish you and your brand as an authority in the field and keep people coming back for more. However, bear in mind that your content must be clear and jargon-free. Industry experts often struggle to keep things simple. If that sounds like you, hire a no-nonsense professional content writer to help you out.
2. Communicate your brand message
Your website acts as a shop front for your business in the online world. It showcases the products or services you offer to people who may not have encountered your brand before. Because of that, your website must make a good first impression. If it doesn’t, visitors to your site won’t venture any further than the first page they land on.
Quality website content should reflect your brand’s tone of voice and target your ideal customer. If the words on the page don’t resonate with the reader, they’ll go look for answers elsewhere. Worse still, bad copy can damage your business’ reputation.
In fact, research shows that over 42% of online shoppers are put off buying from brands that have spelling mistakes and typos on their company webpages.
3. Improve SEO
When it comes to your company’s website content, another key thing to consider is your site’s SEO (aka search engine optimisation).
Google likes to provide its customers with a great experience. Before they start suggesting your website to people, they want to know it ticks all the boxes.
People like fast mobile friendly websites that are easy to understand and use. Making sure your site offers this is what SEO is all about. Give visitors a good experience and your rankings are bound to be better on Google.
Optimising your website involves several steps, both technical and content based. One crucial step is to ensure that the website has high quality content that targets popular search terms on Google.
Sounds simple? Well, not exactly. SEO content writing can be a bit of a minefield if you don’t know what you’re doing. Poorly written content, keyword stuffing and duplicating copy from other sites, are all common issues that can lead to your site being ignored or – worst of all – penalised.
Similarly, search engines favour websites that are regularly updated, which is why regularly blogging is brilliant.
4. Generate & convert leads
If you’re looking into website content for the first time, you’ll no doubt come across the phrase “content is king”. This stems back to a famous essay that Bill Gates wrote back in 1996, in which he stated: “Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the internet.” And let’s face it, he wasn’t wrong.
According to Hubspot, 70% of online marketers are now actively investing in content marketing to grow the brands they manage. The reason for this is that great content draws people towards your website and channels them through to your end goal. The higher the quality, the more likely people are to engage and eventually buy from you.
As such, your website content must be written in a reader-focused way. The words should speak directly to your target customer, address their problem and offer a solution that is cleverly shaped into an offer they simply can’t refuse.
A great writer can identify your USPs, turn them into benefits for your customers and persuade them to take action. In this way, quality website content can be the difference between a conversion and a missed opportunity.
5. Quality content & great design go hand in hand
The simple fact is, there is no point having a great looking website that is filled with low-quality content. You need to align your website’s design and content for the best results.
Your website’s design affects how your copy will be read and sets the mood for the site, while the content on the page tells the reader what they need to know. Together, they help the reader navigate through your website and find what they’re looking for.
To ensure everything works smoothly and the layout makes sense, it’s easier to develop these two aspects of your website in tandem. That way, you’re not trying to cram text into a structure that doesn’t allow enough space for it.
The best of both worlds
At Rapport Digital, build websites for accountants and accounting firms that position businesses in their best light. We will work with you to create a design that reflects your brand image, helps you stand out from the crowd and attracts your ideal clients.
We also offer expert content writing services to help you communicate with your audience more effectively and convert interest into action. Ready to generate new leads and build long-lasting relationship with your customers? Contact hello@rapportdigital.com to find out more.