With so much of what we do now conducted online, your company’s digital presence has never been more important.
Get it right and you can generate sales from day one. Get it wrong, and you’ll be cannibalized by competitors who are more agile and imaginative than you. Aside from the obvious digital marketing techniques like paid advertising and social media, one strategy to consider is website content.
Below, we’ve rounded up just some of the benefits of website content for your small business – read on and you’ll soon be writing.
Website content draws in new customers
Though most business owners look for “quick wins” to deliver returns to their investment, the truth is that digital marketing takes time.
One of the most valuable “long-term” marketing tools for businesses of all shapes and sizes is content.
Turn your company site into a hub packed with valuable content and resources, and customers will flock to you naturally.
The reason why so many businesses focus on writing content is for SEO. The more pages you have on your website, the more keywords and phrases you’ll be targeting. A groomer, for example, could write an in-depth article on “shaving on vacation”. They can offer tips for men on maintaining their facial hair. When men search for such articles, they’ll land on their site.
As well as SEO benefits, website content can be shared on social media, pushing more traffic back to your landing pages and site.
Another benefit is email marketing. You can send your latest blog post or promotional video to your subscribers, building trust and credibility.
Make existing customers spend more with you
We all know that acquiring new customers is tough. But holding onto existing ones is even tougher.
With so much competition on the internet, not only from giants such as Amazon but small businesses, too, you need to work hard to hold onto existing shoppers. The benefit of content marketing is that you can increase your customers’ average purchasing frequency.
If you’re sharing tonnes of valuable website content for free, you’re able to reach your existing customer base more frequently.
Subscribers will get emails when you share a new post. Followers on social media will see you’ve updated your blog. B2B customers will be able to come back to your website time-and-time again for valuable insights and data. That all comes together to keep your business relevant and in customers’ minds. If they see your blog post one week and need to buy a product in your niche the next, they’ll remember you.
Website content can also improve the relationship between you and your customer base. By staying in regular contact with them via blog posts, newsletters, and articles, they’ll feel like they are part of the conversation. You can even build a community around your blog, where customers become advocates for your brand. They’ll join in the conversation by sharing your posts on social media and even creating their won user-generated content for you to share.
Website content is designed to be shared
Rather than writing stuffy articles about the success of your business, focus on delivering real value and giving readers something worth reading.
It could be a how-to guide, a tutorial, a review, or a list. The more content you create, the more your customers will share it with their friends, family, and colleagues. Brides-to-be, for example, will love your article on “100 things you need to do before the big day” sharing it with friends who are also getting hitched. You can go one step further by offering downloadable freebies like software and graphics.
The ultimate aim when creating website content is to resolve customers’ problems. 10 Ways to Cut The Grass Without Getting Hayfever. 5 Reasons Why Your Boyfriend Snores. How to Resell Our Marketing Services to Your Customers.
Resolving problems and adding a call to action back to your ecommerce store or contact page will benefit you and your readership.
Make sure that your blog posts can easily be shared on social media. Add buttons and include plenty of images and GIFs that can be used on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Cuts average cost per acquisition
Though some other digital marketing methods offer faster conversion rates, website content is designed to be evergreen, delivering results for years and years on end. The chances are that you’ve read an article that’s ten years old on Google – because it’s still valuable and relevant today. Once you’ve created a piece of content, it’s there for your customers forever.
Website content can nurture your visitors to qualify themselves as a lead. You don’t need to be overly promotional in your content, but you should include a clear call to action and make reference to the products and services you offer. Once you’ve resolved their issue, offer a way to improve their lives. Mention your products, services, and include links to product pages or contact forms.
And if they don’t work, ask for an email address to be added to a mailing list for future conversion. By nurturing your prospects with quality content, you can automate the entire sales process and ultimately lower your average cost per acquisition.
Website content improves customer service
One final benefit of content is customer service and retention. Nowadays, consumers expect a response from a brand within an hour. If you’re taking a day or two to respond to an email, you’ll lose out on potential sales and make existing customers unhappy.
By offering as much knowledge and information as possible on your blog, you’ll help customers find answers to their questions without having to speak to one of your customer service representatives. This reduces the time it takes for issues to be resolved but can also lower your personnel costs.
Make sure your content is easy to find and add it to your knowledge base. Some brands, like Facebook and Uber, push users through a funnel before taking them to a customer service form. Most issues can be resolved quickly in a few hundred words. It’s time to start writing!
Though website content is an investment, it’s one worth making as soon as you incorporate a new business. Make time for content writing in your marketing strategy or outsource to the professionals. The team at Biz Online Marketing is here to offer a helping hand.
If you’d like to find out more about the value of website content, be sure to follow us on social media. Join Biz Online Marketing on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, where we regularly share tips and tricks on digital marketing for small businesses.