Where Hard Work Pays Off

Posted by Energy Wire on March 20, 2013 at 7:55 AM

If you are like most organizations, you have a website that you know could and should be doing more. Like generating more visits and more transactions. And the way to begin making it happen? With your content.
When it comes to a better site experience, content is king.

Whether you are Mercedes, REI, Canyon Ranch, or the corner grocery, you need to make sure that you are adding content to your site on a regular basis—for most that means weekly, though for some that could even mean daily.

It's not a homepage. It's a store front.

Think of your homepage as the window shopping experience for your site. Any good retailer knows they need to change up their windows to entice customers to walk into the store. Websites need the same attention, so start by making sure your homepage is constantly highlighting new features and benefits.

Attract. Engage. Repeat.

Analytics prove that repeat visitors are your best customers. That means getting them to your site isn't enough; you have to make sure they keep coming back for more. A website with static content is like a TV channel that re-runs the same episode over and over. Pretty soon, people are going to tune out. Without a steady stream of fresh content that re-enforces your brand, people stop connecting with it, and then they stop buying. Your site is among your key brand experiences, and since it belongs to you, the opportunities are limitless.

Focus on three.

A story that goes beyond what you are trying to sell, a story that reinforces your credibility, is a story that builds brand value. How do you get there? Start by determining the three key elements that connect people to your brand. Not four, not ten—just three. Make some sacrifices to create a more focused, deeper story.

For example, if visitors come to your site because of your organic products, ask yourself what are the three key elements that connects people to this brand? It could be a cause you align yourself with. It could stem from your corporate mission. It could be most anything. The point is to move beyond basic product information and begin to tell the bigger story.

You're all in it together.

Producing great content is a big job. It is a hard job.  But it is not a job you need to do by yourself. Enlist other key people in your company to contribute. If you are a ski resort and ski lessons are a key part of your offering, have your ski school director do a weekly blog. If you are all about fair trade, assign your director of sustainability to tell the fair trade story, not just about your company, but the value of fair trade to the world. If you are all about energy efficiency, blog about it, and again talk about energy efficiency and its impact on the world—and don't worry if you become the company known for having energy efficiency as a mission. Every great brand out there is known for something. Moreover, they stand for something.

Your website should become the vehicle for telling your brand's story, and telling it takes the right content. So, what's your story?