Deciding what content to put on your new website can be the most challenging aspect. By content, I'm referring to all the text (including descriptions, contact information, product pitches, marketing copy, and blog posts) and the images (photos of the store, the owner, the products, the pets, etc.).
Although you may be comfortable writing letters, memos and emails, it is usually best to have a professional write at least the most highly visible text sections. An important consideration for every single page is to optimize it fully for the search engines. This means writing in such a way that the keywords that are important to associate with your website are prominently placed in the text. (More about this in a future post.) Being concise is important. You have only a few seconds in which to capture the attention of your visitor before they click away.
Just as typical writing skills may not quite give the professional edge that you need, photographs taken on your cell phone or by friends may not have the visual quality needed to make your site look its best. Images will quickly paint a picture for your site visitor that can be more effective than your text in encouraging them to browse more of your pages. (A picture is worth a 1,000...yada...yada.)
A good writing process begins with knowing what you want to say and getting your ideas down either with an extended outline or rough draft. You'll also need to decide, with advice from your designer, what pages or sections are needed. Then have a professional go over your draft for copyediting and search engine optimization opportunities. When you plan for images, consider having a photographer take the shots needed. Making your content preparation a cooperative effort will give you the best results.
This part of planning your website can seem intimidating. But just remember the old joke: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time...
