Different people surf the web for different purposes. Some may be for fun, and others could be for business execution, each with a different plan in mind. But ultimately, the main aim of any website is to provide the audience with valuable information through its content.
Recently web owners have spent more time on website designs to attract clients and make the site more attractive, neglecting the fact that a web page is only as good as its content.
Imagine a scenario where one clicks on a well-designed page only to find out what he intended to get from. If it is not available, that is heartbreaking. So, let’s know more about how important is content to a website and what should be
What Is Content
- Content is creative elements consisting of textual, aural, and visual representation of information that is channeled towards an audience. It represents ideas to create an understanding of a reader's mind concerning a particular subject.
What Are The Importance Of Content To Your Website
- Establishing the contextual form of content needed on any website, you may begin to question the place of content on your website. Thoughts may arise on how a beautiful graphics design can attract people to your site.
The color contrast and aesthetics, you think, will be enough to draw people in. But do not forget that there is nothing that would make your site SEO worthy without a text. And when searchers are drawn to your website, what communicates to them the purpose of your website? Graphics design cannot help you with that.
The benefits of content on your website are numerous, but we will be discussing just a few. They include:
Information
- This is the first most crucial benefit rendered by the content on your webpage. Content informs readers
about your website, your services, and every other information that can promote the website's concept.
Regardless of what you do, be it a blog, a service provider, an online trading system, or other methods readers can learn more about that through content showcased on your website.
Improves SEO Ratings
- SEO means Search Engine Optimization and defines how easily you can be found on any search engine. Often wondered how fast some websites rank top when you search for information?
The rate at which you are search engine optimized depends on how good your content is. Also, good use of keywords that people often search for should be included in your content to be ranked among the first when sourced.
For instance, a company that is into sales of women's wears, most have noticed that women search for wear to often buy dinner dresses. A primary subject in content can bring them among the first search results when a lady sources for such answers.
Generation Of More Readership
- As stated above, your content helps update your SEO ratings, and through this update, people can easily access and read your content.
Without content, your website cannot be updated on search engines, and without an SEO, there will be no one visiting your site, and the reason behind building a website will be rendered thanks and void.
Creates Value for Readers
- Do not forget that a content explains and educates a reader on a particular subject. When such a subject is discussed extensively, the reader finds value in your website and looks forward to finding more content from you.
Imagine a website without content. What spurs a reader to stay on that website? The designs? Value is only added to the audience because there is enlightenment granted to them after visiting your site.
Generation Of More Shares
- Shares in this context mean that people who come to your website, view your content, and find relative value from them to share them with others who may find it relevant.
An increase in shares means an increase in visitors and readership. The ratings of your website can keep on pumping, and that will help promote your site.
Promotes Your Website
- The accrued relevance gotten from the usability and relevance of your website is website promotion. A boost in SEO, views, readership, and shares of your website means a boost in your business's overall success.
Blogs, for instance, earn money from the number of viewers on their blogs and sponsored advertisements. Sponsored ads can only find interest in a blog when the number of viewership per day is relatively high. So, quality content is highly needed to grow such a website.
Life Span Value
- A website with quality SEO content last longer than other poorly represented websites. To make your website have a longer lifespan, you need to improve your content quality. You can then imagine a website with no content. Such a website is considered useless.
The relevance of your website to an audience is what makes your site valuable and reliable. Once the audience finds your site worth the search, because of your content, which is worth the read, your site will maintain a long-standing on search engines.
Connects Consumers to You
- For a business website that provides information about goods and services, the best way to make consumers come inquiring is how intriguing and captivating the website's content is.
The content enlightens them on your products and services and includes links on how to purchase from you or contact you directly. Without content, the whole idea of a business website is worthless.
Types Of Content Representation
- When discussing content, you have to put in mind how to present an idea on your website. Content does not include textual representation alone. For a reader who understands better through images that explain a subject, text alone can dull the moment. These are the following ways to represent the content
Written Content
- Written content is simply content added to a webpage through text, alphabets, words, sentences, characters, etc. These texts are written or drafted to provide information to its reader. Written contents could also be links posted on a webpage to provide users with additional information.
Visual Content
- Visual contents are contents in image and graphics forms. They appeal to the eyes with their use of colors and designs. They often set out to give an imagery explanation of the written content in the mind of a reader.
Visual content is very suitable for websites, especially with its ability to go viral with just a click. Visual contents exist in different forms such as
Graphics/ Pictures
- Images such as clip art, photos, drawings, and designs could be integrated into content to improve its quality. They create a mental picture of the written content in the reader's mind.
For instance, the use of graphs to illustrate statistics, the use of pictures to show what the brain looks like on a medical website.
These pictures are optimized and created by a graphics editor. They allow you to portray different information on an image in a visually intriguing and easily understood way.
Videos
- While pictures appeal to just the eyes, videos appeal to the eyes and ears. They involve both imagery and auditory senses. A video is content because it is often provided on web pages to explain a certain subject.
For example, a blog that majors in fashion hacks writes content for females to turn a T-shirt into a cropped top. It might not be easily understood as a write-up, so a video can help aid quicker assimilation of the subject.
It is one of the most popular multimedia content for blogs, social media websites, and other websites that need readers to visualize their content.
Characteristics Of A Content
It is not enough to know what content is, its importance, and the types of content representation. Learning about what is needed to make your content easily readable and worth the viewer's time enables you to have a better website.
Your website's content must be such that the viewers are easily engaged and willing to view until the end. This will improve the rate at which viewers search for sites when they want a detail relating to you.
Some of the features of content include:
Optimization
- Before thinking of any other feature, look for ways to optimize your content so it can be found easily and among the first websites when a surfer searches for information related to your website.
Most surfers do not get past the first page when searching for information. If they do, the best they can is the second page. The idea is that web pages on search engines from page 3 upward have no relevance to them again.
So, to be found and your website not redundant, make sure your content is optimized.
Relevance
How relevant is your content to the reader? Does it answer some questions that are easily relatable to them?
First, the headline has to be catchy and grab the surfer's attention to take a look at the content. Once the viewer's attention is captured, he goes on to read what lies in the content. Therefore, the body of the content must answer vital questions that may pose a problem to the viewer at the time. Make sure you give your reader the satisfaction of having to know something from your content.
Ease
- The flow of your content must be easily understandable and relatable. Information that does not add to the reader's knowledge should be put off. Complex words and sentences should be avoided in other not to confuse the reader. Keep your content easy, smooth, and clear.
Appearance and Organization
- Keep your sentences short and clear. The fonts and line spacing should be bold enough for any viewer to make out words without mixing things, and still have an aesthetic feel.
Organize the contents in such a way that a reader can easily make sense of it. Use graphics and pictures to clarify areas of complication. Your content should always be clear and also represented beautifully to keep viewers wanting more.
Engaging
- It is more advisable to engage the reader by writing like you are referring to them directly. Use a second person pronoun; "you" and "your.” This will capture the reader's attention more, as he can personalize the content.
Reliable
- Make sure every content you present on your website is reliable and from the right source. Any wrong information will reduce the authenticity of your website and turn surfers away from it.
To sum up
- In conclusion, a website is a major aspect of any organization, business, or person involved in any service that requires an online presence. But even with a website, you have no online presence till it is content to establish it.
Contents are vital aspects of any website, no matter what service the website is built to provide. So, for your website to be accessible and valuable to surfers, build your online presence by presenting important content.