Attract Buyers with Valuable Content

By Leva Duell
Posted Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Content is the most important component of your web site. Useful content gets visitors to your site, engages them, builds credibility, and converts them into buyers. Surveys indicate that 80 percent of visitors go to web sites to get information. Only 5 percent are interested in graphics.

What is content?

Valuable content can include how-to articles, reports, tips, links to useful resources, and freebies. For example, a web design company may provide free graphics and diagnostic tools. A CD web site may offer free reviews, biographies of musicians, and an online jukebox to preview their music selection.

To make money with your web site, you also need to include:

- Contact information. Include your name, business name, email, 800#, local phone number (international prospects can't call 800 numbers), fax, and mailing address.
- Company information.
- Product information, the benefits of your products and services, how to purchase them, and their best uses.
- A compelling, benefit-oriented sales letter.
- A special offer.
- A call to action.
- Ordering information.
- An online order form.

Target your audience

- Provide information that is valuable, useful, or entertaining to your target market.
- Feature content relevant to the topic of your site.
- Use a feedback form to find out what your visitors and prospective buyers want.

How to generate content for your site

- Recycle information from newsletters, postcards, free tips, and reports you already have.
- Spend time exploring useful web sites and request permission to use some of their articles.
- Go to free content sites providing archives of articles you can publish on your web site.

Visitors typically come to your web site four to seven times before they buy. Provide valuable content and update your site regularly to give prospects compelling reasons to return to your site. The more frequently they return, the more likely they'll buy your products and services.

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