Developing a Content Strategy to Avoid Stagnation

One of the biggest challenges with corporate websites is the lack of a plan to create new content. The creation of a corporate website begins, rather than ends, with the launch. When initially launched, your site should clearly cover the core of what your business represents or does.  For example, having sections such as About, Services, Case Studies, Resources, and Contact Information are basic necessities and obviously important, but what is your plan to add to this initial content?

Content Is the Lifeblood of Your Website

Experts agree that the relevance and searchability of your website relies on an aggregation of your content’s quality and quantity. In the not so distant past, companies did anything they could just to put content, good or bad, on their website with the hopes of landing traffic. This approach really didn’t work because if and when your target landed on your site, you did not necessarily give them what they were looking for.

Fast forward to 2014 and the most successful marketing strategies involve quality, ongoing content, and a plan to get your audience to land on your relevant pages. A good way to look at this is to put yourself in the eyes of the searcher:Reverse engineer the search process and imagine someone typing into the search engine your company’s services. Imagine them landing on that page. Ask yourself if this page gives the searcher what they were searching for. Then, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Is there anything on that page that would help them make a decision about your service, educate them about what you do, how you do it and how you stand out from the competitors?

2. Is there anything on that page that leads them to more information or conveys your expertise?

3. Is there a clear call to action and an easy way for them to contact you?

Content creation does not end with the launch of your website.  How many times have you visited a company’s blog only to see that the last posting was six months ago? When was the last case study you put together? When was the last time you changed your slider image? Think about what this kind of outdated content conveys to your prospective client: Stagnation. We have been all guilty of this, including this writer.

Avoiding Stagnation Starts With a “Content Plan”

A content plan is created based on your objectives, your resources, and good old-fashioned discipline. A great platform for this is the company blog or newsletter section. If you don’t have this component on your website, adding one is a great place to start. The blog can be a huge asset as an obvious venue for new content. Blog posts can take the form of anything you can imagine: case studies, relevant news items, company announcements, new products, new hires… the sky’s the limit. Again, think about your audience. What would they want to read that would inform, educate and empower them? One of the most effective aspects of a blog is the ability to steer visitors to other areas of your website using internal links. This is good not only for SEO purposes, but also for further displaying your competence in a given topic.

Having a website that is stagnant can be detrimental to your business. The cure is simple but involves having a plan of action and the right people in place to help you execute the strategy. Fresh, relevant content is a building block of “SEO” and helps you stand out from your competitors.