Web content is anything on the web whether it be on your blog, your website, on social networking sites or anywhere else you add or post information.  It can include text, photos, videos, slide shows, audio files, polls, links, etc…

Providing useful, informative, interesting or inspiring content is critical to successfully promoting your small business on the internet.  People do not want to constantly see your advertisements, coupons, special offers and promotional text.  Many people use the web to:

• look for market or industry information
• research products or services
• solve a problem
• find information on marketing or running their business
• discover resources or tools that will increase their efficiency and save them time or money
• stay current with industry trends

These are just a few of the many reasons that people use the internet.  One of the best ways to promote your business on the internet, is to give people what THEY are looking for by providing great content.  That means your content must be useful, informative, interesting or inspiring.  If it is, you stand a greater chance of having that person contact you for more information, bookmark and frequent your website, subscribe to your blog posts, sign up for your newsletter, invite you to connect with them on a social network, etc…   And this is what YOU want!

Even if that person is not ready to buy what you provide right now, you want them to “opt-in” to receiving information from you.  This allows you to “drip” information to them periodically and create “top of mind awareness” with them.  When they are ready to buy, you are at the top of their mind…they think of you.  If you continually provide great content, you will eventually win over some of these “opt-in subscribers” and they will become customers.  This is because you will have gained their trust by providing them with great content and NOT pushing your product/service down their throat.  They will see you as an expert in your field and as a resource.  When this type of person contacts you, they are ready to buy what you have to offer.

Always strive for great content.  It will win you customers in the long run!

Kimberly Yow
MarketingThatsEasy.com

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P.S.S. – Posting great content that uses your keywords is one of many search engine optimization (SEO) techniques.

Years ago I was under the impression that all web designers did more than just “design” websites.  I thought they also incorporated search engine optimization techniques into their websites to give them greater visibility and improve search engine rankings.  I learned the hard way!

I hired a web designer to create an e-commerce site for me and kept wondering when he was going to get my input on keywords for my industry.  The answer was apparently “never”!   After my website was published to the internet…and I was told it was done…I asked why keywords weren’t incorporated into my site, why all my page titles were the same, etc…  I quickly learned that the price I had been quoted for web design covered only the “design”.  It did NOT cover keyword research and website or search engine optimization.

If I wanted my website optimized for search engines, I would have to pay more money.  I was given a second quote for optimizing my website and making it more visible on the internet.  My web designer called this Phase II.  I feel very strongly that it should have been part of Phase I.  After all, what’s the point of having a website if no one can find it on the internet!

I’m sharing this story in the hope that you will not make the same mistake I did years ago.  And, to stress how important it is to incorporate keyword research and website optimization into the initial design or redesign of your website.  Doing so will save you money in the long run because your website will not need to be reworked to include search engine optimization techniques.

Beware:  Many web designers do not know how to do keyword research and they also do not know “where” your keywords should be placed for search engine optimization.

If you are having a website designed or redesigned, make sure you:

• Hire a web designer who knows how to do keyword research and how to utilize keywords throughout your site.
• Or, hire a Search Engine Optimization Consultant to:

1. conduct keyword research
2. provide your web designer with keyword rich text
3. give your web designer direction on “which keywords to place where”

I’m speaking from experience here.  Both as someone who paid a web designer for a site that wasn’t search engine optimized…AND now…as a web designer and search engine optimization consultant who works with other web designers to help them incorporate search engine optimization techniques into their designs.

Do yourself a huge favor…make sure keywords and search engine optimization techniques are part of your initial web design project or your redesign project.  Doing so will save you money in the long run and make your website more visible on the internet from the beginning.

In conclusion, make sure you know whether or not your “web design” quote includes keyword research and search engine optimization.  If it doesn’t, ask your prospective web designer if they offer these services.  If they don’t, look for another web designer or hire a search engine optimization consultant to work WITH your web designer.

Passionate about optimization!
Kimberly Yow
Marketing That’s Easy