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What makes great Web sites sticky and attractive?
Good, relevant content that is easy to use. Developing
and implementing an effective content strategy takes
time and resources, but the payoffs are great. Many more
good, target customers will visit your site more often.
Your customers will be more satisfied because they feel
your business is responsive to their needs. Your sales
staff will be happy because they will find their time
with customers is more productive, and they can close
more sales. By following a few simple rules, you can
set your company Web site apart from your competitors'
ordinary online brochure sites.
First, think hard and plan well. Whom does your Web
site cater to? Identify your distinct groups of target
audiences: Who are these audiences? What are their objectives?
What information do they need to meet their objectives?
What is their level of understanding of your products
and services? How sophisticated are they with Internet
technology? If they are potential customers, for example,
consider their decision making processes: What are their
criteria in deciding whether to do business with you?
How about your existing customers? What will make it
easier for them to continue to do business with you?
Next, create a content strategy for each target audience.
An aircraft manufacturer searching for qualified contractors
may need to see evidence that the contractor has been
duly certified by the Federal Aviation Agency and has
demonstrated relevant capabilities. A home buyer researching
financing options may look for a mortgage broker who
is knowledgeable, trustworthy, and familiar with the
local market. Consider your web site from their perspectives:
What pieces of information and tools will move them forward
in the sales process? What can you add to your Web site
that will increase its value to them? For example, by
putting documentation of its capabilities online, the
aircraft contractor helps customers confirm its qualifications
quickly and streamlines the sales process. The mortgage
broker may provide an online mortgage calculator, a glossary
of financing terms, and ways for customers to provide
financial data securely and confidentially to their loan
officers so they can become pre-qualified for a mortgage.
It positions the company as consumer-friendly, credible,
and efficient.
Develop your content strategy around your calls for
action - what you want your visitors to do in response
to your web site. Do you want your visitors to research
technical information about your products without needing
to call your technical support staff? Do you want them
to feel confident enough to place an order online? Do
you want them to feel so excited about your products
that they can't wait to visit your stores? Build cues
in your Web site to invite your visitors to answer your
calls for action.
Your content strategy should be an integral part of
your Web site architecture. For each target audience,
there should be an easy path beginning in the home page
that takes them to the information they need, and prompts
them to take the action you intend them to take. Organize
the information in cascading levels from broad and general
to in-depth and specific. In this way, your visitors
can choose to scan through quickly, or to research deeply
in areas they care about. The goal is to give them control
over the quantity of information they wish to consume.
Keep in mind also that people process information presented
on screen differently from that presented in print. The
objectives and messages for each screen should be clear.
When preparing content for the Web, the most important
points should come first. Short sentences and short paragraphs
are preferable. Different people also respond to different
cues and presentation methods. Graphical presentations
like icons may be important to some, while text may appear
more credible to other readers.
The Internet creates a more level playing field for
consumers who now have easy access to information they
did not have before. Play it to your advantage. Good,
relevant content that is easy to use sets apart effective
sites that attract, keep, and bring their visitors back
time and again. Empower your customers to make the right
decisions to do business with you, and you will build
long-term profitable relationships.
Copyright Eva Chiu and InfoAdvantage.
E-Business
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