As a develop web sites I use my customers as a source of information for web site content. After all, they know their company best. While I don't usually use their content word-for-word, I will take the liberty to make the content web-usable. In other words, customers often produce paragraphs of content when only a few sentences is necessary to get the point across. And since web users "scan" pages instead of "reading" them, I like to make the content as concise as possible.
On a recent progject, a customer provided me with oodles of content. However, most of the content was a history of services they have provided or growth they have achieved (a yawning experience for most site visitors). So, I provided a little guidance in what content should be for their web site. Note that this was tailored for a company who provided actual physical services, thus, some suggestions might not apply to your particular situation. If you need assistance with your web site's content feel free to Contact Me.
Here is what I gave them:
Web Site Goals
(you should always have a goal for your new web site project)
- To increase leads to a final sale by providing product/service information and relevant contact information.
- To allow customers to quickly and easily find the information they need resulting in increased customer satisfaction and increased sales.
- To recruit prospective drivers and employees by creating an online employment application that is easier to complete than competitors online applications.
Web Site Content Should Contain...
(remember that this is not an exhaustive list and your web site may need different content)
- Products available
- Product pricing
- Contact information
- Phone numbers (preferred)
- Email addresses
- Steps for quality assurance
- Process of reliability
- Distinguishable characteristics between competitors
- Other elements that achieve the web site goals
- Flexibility that meets customer needs
Web Site Content Should Avoid...
(this is a good recommendation for any web site)
- Vast histories of the corporation or its entities
- Too much sales or business growth information on product/service pages
- Extensive growth information is usually saved for web pages dedicated to investors
- Should be placed in "About" section
- Anything else that does not support web site goals
Will Your Visitor Answer "No" To Any of These Questions?
- Is this what the visitor expects to see on this page?
- Is this information credible and can I trust this company?
- Is this interesting enough to continue spending time on this web site?
Will Your Visitor Find The Answers To These Questions?
- How do I learn more about this product?
- This is interesting, what do I do now?
- What if I'm not comfortable doing that?
- What if I'm not comfortable doing that?
- What if I have more questions?
Can your visitor quickly answer these questions?
Remember that content is relative to the web site and this is by no means and exhaustive list of options for content. However, they are a good starting point.
