Now that you have a stunning website - whether you built it yourself, hired another agency, or utilized the expert services of Hungry Ram - you need to understand the importance of having an online presence to reach and engage with potential customers.
However, simply having a website isn't enough.
You'll need to put a lot of effort into pushing out valuable content such as blog posts, pages, and updating your copy with keywords that relate to your industry.
But you can't just push out random short articles.
You need to show Google that visitors are staying on your website long enough to read your article.
YES, Google can track how long someone stays on your page, this is called "Dwell Time"
To drive traffic and conversions, your website content needs to be engaging, compelling, and optimized for search engines.
1. Understand Your Target Audience ๐ก
So how could you write website content that engages and converts visitors into customers?
It all starts with understanding your target audience. Who are they, what do they care about, and what problems are they trying to solve?
They're Googling how to fix their problem, so this is how you can get your page to show up!
By understanding their needs, preferences, and pain points, you can create content that resonates with them and help move them further along in the buying journey.
Consider the following extra tips:
Create buyer personas: One effective way to understand your target audience is to create buyer personas. A buyer persona is a detailed profile of your ideal customer, based on factors like demographics, interests, pain points, and motivations.
By creating buyer personas, you can better tailor your website content to meet the specific needs and preferences of your target audience.
Conduct market research: Conducting market research can help you gain insights into your target audience, including their buying habits, preferences, and pain points.
You can use a variety of tools and techniques for market research, such as surveys, focus groups, and online analytics.
Consider user intent: When creating website content, it's important to consider user intent - that is, the reason why someone is visiting your website. Are they looking for information, trying to solve a problem, or looking to make a purchase? By understanding user intent, you can create content that addresses their specific needs and helps move them further along in the buying journey.
Use customer feedback: Customer feedback can be a valuable source of information for understanding your target audience. By listening to feedback and addressing customer concerns and suggestions, you can improve your website content and better meet the needs of your target audience.
One trick I do while scrolling through social media is identifying problems that I can write a post about. Go through Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to see what problems people are having and what they're saying about it.
Monitor website analytics: You can gain insights into visitor behavior by keeping track of your website analytics, such as what pages they visit, how long they stay on your site, and which content they engage with the most. This information can help you optimize your website content to better meet the needs of your target audience.
There are a few tools you can use to measure website analytics. Here are a few popular free options:
By taking these steps to understand your target audience, you can create website content that resonates with them and helps drive conversions.
2. Use Storytelling Techniques ๐
But how do you create content that's engaging and compelling Storytelling is key when it comes to creating engaging website content.
One approach is to use storytelling techniques to create an emotional connection with your audience.
By sharing stories that are relevant to your business and your audience, you can make your brand more relatable and memorable.
The Hook
Start with a hook. You want to grab your audience's attention right from the get-go, and a compelling opening can do just that.
Think about a question, a surprising fact, or a personal anecdote that relates to your brand or product.
Getting Personal
Next, make it personal. People connect with stories that they can relate to on a personal level. Use personal experiences or anecdotes to create a connection with your audience and make your brand more relatable.
Give Them Visuals
Visuals are also key. Incorporate images or videos that support your story and help to reinforce your brand's message.
Lastly, tie it back to your brand. A well-crafted story is great, but you want to make sure it aligns with your brand's values and reinforces your message. Your audience should understand the connection between the story and your brand.
So there you have it, folks!
Use these storytelling techniques to create engaging website content that resonates with your audience and makes your brand unforgettable.
3. Write in a Conversational Tone ๐งโโ๏ธ
It's important to remember that when it comes to website content, you're not writing a thesis or a scientific paper.
Your audience wants to feel like they're having a conversation with you, not being talked at by an expert in a lab coat.
So, keep it simple and write in a conversational tone. Use language that your audience can easily understand and avoid using technical jargon or overly complex words that might leave them scratching their heads.
Remember, the goal is to engage your audience, not confuse them.
I admit, I'm also still working on taking out the technical jargon I say when talking with potential clients. I'm pretty sure I scared a few off before.
By writing in a conversational tone, you can create website content that feels approachable, friendly, and easy to understand. So, put away the thesaurus, relax, and write like you're having a chat with a friend.
4. Make Your Content Scannable and Digestible ๐
When it comes to website content, you want to make sure it's easy for your audience to read and understand. This means making your content scannable and digestible.
One way to do this is by breaking up your content into smaller chunks using bullet points, subheadings, and even creating new paragraphs (Notice how a new paragraph forms every 1 to 2 sentences in this article?).
This helps your audience quickly scan the content and find the information they're looking for without having to read through a wall of text.
Plus, it can make your content look more visually appealing.
Use Images
Don't underestimate multimedia like images and videos. Not only do they add visual interest, but they can also help to illustrate your points and make your content more memorable.
Just don't overdo it with images...
5. Conduct Keyword Research
So how do you ensure that your website content is found by search engines?
Just make sure you're using keywords that relate to your business! But it's always not that easy...
Keyword research involves identifying the keywords and phrases that your target audience is using to search for products or services similar to yours.
By incorporating these keywords naturally into your content, you can help search engines understand what your website is about and rank your content higher in search results.
Start Slow!
Avoid "keyword stuffing". You've probably come across websites that have done this before where you see [insert keyword here] a thousand times on their website.
That's a big no-no.
This can actually hurt your search engine rankings and make your content less engaging for visitors.
Google is just telling you you're trying too hard to manipulate the search engines.
So, how do you incorporate keywords naturally into your content without keyword stuffing?
Focus on creating natural high-quality, valuable content that addresses your audience's needs and interests.
By doing so, you'll naturally include relevant keywords and phrases that your audience is searching for.
6. Include Calls to Action โผ
Another important aspect of website content is including calls to action (CTAs).
CTAs encourage visitors to take action, whether it's signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or scheduling a consultation.
So make sure your CTAs are clear, prominent, and relevant to your content.
7. Focus on Benefits, Not Features โ
To take your website content to the next level, consider the following tips: Focus on benefits, not features.
While features are important, focusing solely on them can make your content sound dull and technical, which could turn off potential customers.
Instead, focus on how your products or services can solve your audience's problems or make their lives easier.
Remember what we discussed in the top half?
Understanding your audience!
Think of specific pain points or challenges that your target audience faces, and how you are able to help them.
So make sure you highlight or make it clear by listing the benefits.
Get to Writing!
Now to wrap up our discussion on writing killer website content!
It's time to get writing!
Remember to keep your audience in mind, use storytelling techniques to create an emotional connection, write in a conversational tone, break up your content into digestible chunks, conduct keyword research, and focus on the benefits of your products or services.
If all of this sounds overwhelming, don't worry - the team here at Hungry Ram Web Design is always here to help.
Whether you need help writing website content, optimizing for search engines, or creating a killer web design, we've got you covered. We can help you.
We'd love to know if this article helped you. Send us a message!