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Web content, or the subject matter you include on your site - text, images, diagrams, information, forms, etc. can directly affect how, when and if a visitor will buy.
These days, most business buyers and potential partners will review your site before they do business with you. In a study by Enquiro, 93.4% of all B2B buyers performed online research before making a purchase decision, with an average of 19.2% going directly to a manufacturer's site first.
So in the creation or redevelopment of a company website, where do you start? Design, functionality and programming all come later - first, you need to decide what information and tools your site needs to deliver to your market.
Think of your site as an interactive brochure that speaks with different groups and converts visitors into prospects and customers. It's an extension of your brand and an example of the quality of work you do. By developing your site with richer content and some basic marketing functionality, you broaden your potentially lucrative marketing capabilities.
There's a lot to think about, but here's a basic process to get you started:
1. Identify who will visit your site, then list the information & tools that each "profile" will want and need. For example, if you sell to three different customer segments - Fortune 100, midmarket, and small businesses - you'll need to offer content that speaks directly to each segment. Profile your visitors in as much detail as possible; try to identify what they really need each time they visit your site, then add that content to the list.
2. Gather internal ideas. Invite someone from each department/team in your company; ask what content could help them improve the way they reach out to sell or service customers. You can do this in a series of one-on-one meetings or hold a brainstorming session. At this point you're just collecting ideas so add everything to the list.
3. Identify content that can help you sell to prospects who find you online. Keep in mind, most business buyers use the web to find information about products, vendors, and solutions for their problems. And the higher the price of the product/service, the earlier the buyer starts the search.
4. Identify content that you'll need for marketing campaigns. Consider content such as special organic search landing pages, paid search landing pages, email newsletter section, news section, downloadable white papers, webinar archives, signup forms, etc. You'll want to make sure your site is ready to handle these activities.
5. Check out your competitors. What content do they offer that you haven't already identified and should include on your own site?
6. Miscellaneous ideas. Is there anything else you may want and haven't already thought of? Browse other industry sites, award winners, even business sites in vastly different industries - you never know where a great idea will strike!
This process may take a day, a week, or multiple months depending on the complexity of the site and the content needed.
Now that you have a long list, it's time to prioritize. What do you absolutely need right away and when will you reasonably be able to tackle the rest? Clarify what you'll need in the short, medium, and long term and remember that you can launch sections on a rolling schedule.
What happens next? This list goes a long way in helping you and potential vendors/developers understand the scope of your project. If you're developing the site in-house, your next step will be to organize the content to create the site architecture, copywriting needs, and SEO initiatives. Then start defining your requirements for look-and-feel, functionality, technology, and reporting.
If all of this sounds overwhelming - you're not alone. But remember -- with a clear strategy and your market's needs in mind, you can create effective website content.
About the Author: Jennifer Lueck is the Director of Marketing & Public Relations for The Marketing M.O., an innovative, patent-pending business tool that delivers marketing strategies, tactics, and best practices for B2B marketing professionals and entrepreneurs. Download a free marketing ebook covering 29 subjects in 96-pages for time-strapped entrepreneurs, marketers and students at http://www.marketingmo.com/mo/free_download.aspx.
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