Maximize Marketing News - August 2018
Business owners are often in such a rush to get their website launched that they don’t take time to plot things out before diving into the project.
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In this month's feature article, I explain how to organize your website content and why it's important to plan your content before you even think about design.
Drop me a line and let me know what topics you'd like me to write about in the future. I'd love to hear from you!
Janet Barclay
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Planning and Organizing Your Website Content
Because a website is primarily visual, many business owners consider design to be the top priority, but it shouldn’t be. An attractive website may be eye-catching, but if the message doesn’t speak to the needs of your target market, it’s not going to help you reach your goals.
Instead of coming up with the perfect design, and then trying to craft a message that will fit, start by determining what content will enable potential clients to easily discover your areas of expertise and learn about your products and services.
Typical Website Pages
As a starting point, most websites include the following pages:
Home
As this is often the first page visitors see when they arrive on your site, your Home page or Welcome page should quickly inform them who you are, what you do, and most importantly, what’s in it for them.
About
This page gives background information about you and/or your business, letting potential clients know why they should purchase your products or services. It may include such details as company history, credentials, certifications, media appearances, and bios for the business owner and other team members.
Services (and/or Products)
Most people use the Internet to research their options before they even contact a service provider or supplier. Make the most of this opportunity by clearly describing each service or product you offer, including the benefits they provide.
Additional Pages
If this is your first website for a new business, the above pages may be all you need to start with. You can always add more pages as your business grows.
Other common pages include:
- Blog
- Contact
- Testimonials
- Portfolio / Before & After Photos
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Media
- Resources
After you’ve outlined your website content, consider the best ways to guide visitors through the site so they can easily find the information that they need – and that you most want them to see.
Whether your site has five pages or 50, make sure that each one leads naturally to the next. Remember, your potential clients won’t always know what the next step is, so it’s your website’s job to show them the way.
Sketching out a website “map” is a great way to visualize the flow of traffic from one page to the next. Here’s an example of what this might look like:
- Home: Links to your opt-in offer, your discovery session schedule, and your products page.
- Blog: Individual posts link to your opt-in offer or an appropriate sales page, as well as related blog posts and other useful resources.
- Work With Me: Links to your contact form and your individual service pages.
- Products: Links to individual product pages.
- About Me: Link to “Work With Me”
- Contact: Links to product pages.
Benefits of Planning and Organizing Your Content
A well-organized website will:
- provide a much better user experience;
- make it more likely that visitors will do what you want;
- help web crawlers access and index all of your content, improving your search engine performance.
Food for Thought
- Do visitors instantly know what you do and who you work with?
- Can they easily find the information they need on your website?
- Does each page have a clear Call to Action, guiding visitors to the next step?
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I'm a Web Designer and Certified Digital Business Consultant who loves helping others succeed by sharing the knowledge and insight I've gained through marketing my own business for over 15 years. When I'm away from my desk, I enjoy reading, photography, watching movies, and cooking.
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Working with Janet was, in a word, fantastic! I only wish I had consulted her from the beginning when I began my business. She is prompt in responding, very knowledgeable, and has great ideas and feedback.
Carol Jones, A Jones for Organizing
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If this newsletter would be helpful to someone you know, be sure to pass it on!
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