SurfScranton
On The Web
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Content
That’s a noun, not an adjective. Never be content with your site! Seriously, content is the stuff people come to read. If you don’t have something compelling to say, don’t bother.
Remember your vision and mission. Make sure the content moves you toward your goals. For example, if your catalog is aimed at knowledgeable customers and your web site is aimed at new customers, you may want to rewrite it to make information easier to understand. One good web style is very personal and conversational. Look through this document and see a lot of "I" and "you" phrases to communicate directly with you. If your existing copy has a dry, detached or lawyerly tone, consider warming it up this way. I’m a big fan of "deep content" sites. A single page with your name and address might work as a rough equivalent of a yellow pages ad, but it won’t bring people back or build any brand loyalty. Give people a reason to spend some time with you. You're The Expert Share your expertise in your field. Don’t just say
"We sell plants". Write some lessons on Keep It Fresh Also consider content that changes, like current specials or seasonal information. Make your customers anxious to see the latest information. In some businesses you can let the customer create content. E-Bay is almost 100% user created, and Amazon lets customers enter book reviews. Free classified ads would be a good small-scale candidate. The Extra Mile Finally, think about extras that go beyond site content like mailing regular newsletters to subscribing customers, or hosting a message board where the public can discuss topics related to your products. Copyright © 1999, SurfScranton |
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A good
initial source of content is existing print literature.
Maybe you have a brochure or catalog you can adapt to the web. 
raising happy houseplants,
decorating, gardening, cooking vegetables, etc. These pages will show customers
that you know what you’re talking about, keep them interested, inspire new
ideas about things they could buy from you, and bring them back. The more time
(and times) they spend at your site, the better the odds they will hit the
button to buy something!