In our fast-paced, reactionary business world, it is tempting to cut a few corners by posting quick, poorly thought out content—or worse yet, duplicate content from other websites—and post them to our own site.  There are negative consequences to this approach since it clearly does not define you as a leader or expert in your industry.

Crafting original, high-quality content takes time, effort, and resource commitment. A business that publishes original, well-written digital content for their website, will receive a search engine optimization (SEO) boost. Additionally, informative content showcases credibility and expertise in their industry as well as establishes connections with new customers and continues relationships with existing ones. Useful, engaging content is often highly shareable, making it ideal for posting on social media. In short, original content is an investment that all businesses should pursue.

“Original content showcases expertise, making it easier for consumers to make a commitment.”

Expertise

Your website should accomplish the following key goals:

1. The site needs to highlight what your business is about. Basically, what do you do, what benefits and values do your customers receive by hiring you, what makes you different from your competition?
2. The site needs to reflect the quality of your products/services and make it easy for your customers to contact you for more information, to place an order, and so on.
3. Your site should back up your position as an expert in your field.

That last point is key. For instance, let’s say you own a roofing business. Since roofing businesses are especially common, you need to ensure that your website stands out from the competition. So, to help differentiate your site, you could create an FAQ section or a blog on the key things customers need to know about roofing, roofing materials, roofing costs, and so on. Posting original, informative, well-written content highlights that you understand your business thoroughly—in other words, you’re an expert at what you do.

Remember, 85 percent of consumers use the web to find and learn about local businesses. Consumers search online for their needs, and when they find your site, they want to know that the business knows what it’s doing. Original content showcases expertise, making it easier for consumers to make a commitment. Poorly written content, or content pulled from other websites, won’t look professional to new customers.

Connection

We’ve all navigated confusing and poorly thought out sites—it can be a real challenge. When websites feature succinct, well-written content, site navigation is much easier, and this makes it easier for new customers to reach out and establish contact.