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What Is Content? (Part 1 of 2)
by Scottie Claiborne ©Copyright 2004

Browse any webmaster forum or read web tutorials and you will
find that nearly all the experts these days recommend that you
have lots of good content on your site. Sounds like good advice,
doesn't it? But what does it mean?

Simply put, content is the stuff on your site. Good content is
useful information or tools that your visitors will find helpful.
It means different things to different businesses and the bottom
line is that what constitutes "good content" depends on the goal
of your site.

Below, I've attempted to categorize the different types of
content:

Core Site Pages

These are the heart pages of your site, the pages that are the
core of why you built a site in the first place. They explain
your mission or goals, who you are, and detail the
products/services/information available through your site. The
best place to start with "good content" is making sure these
pages are as complete as possible and answer all of a user's
potential questions.

Typical pages that visitors expect to find on a site are:

* About Us
* Contact Us
* Products/Services/Activities
* FAQ
* Shipping Info/Delivery Area/Locations Served

If you aren't confident in your writing skills, consider hiring a
professional copywriter to write or rewrite your pages. A good
copywriter can tailor the style and the voice to appeal to your
customers. It can make a difference between just getting traffic
and getting traffic that converts into sales.

Make your core site pages a priority and ensure that they are
easy-to-read, complete, and informative before looking at adding
other content.

Complementary Pages

Complementary pages enhance and expand on your core site pages.
These are the information pages that can really make a difference
and help set you apart from your competitors.

For product sites, you might offer detailed product reviews,
extensive "how-to" pages for product usage, special
print-friendly detail pages, creative ideas for other uses,
customer feedback and testimonials, or help pages that go over
and above the standard.

For service sites, the complementary pages might deal with how
you do what you do, your qualifications, common myths and
misperceptions about the service, or do-it-yourself tips for
situations where a professional is not needed.

For affiliate or advertising sites, complementary pages are the
key element that will set your site apart from the competition.
What will attract people to your site instead of the others? Is
it a community, more detailed information, news or freebies?

Complementary pages can offer additional information about your
company such as how long you've been in business, details of the
clients you handle, industry recognition and awards, or even
statements of your total commitment to customer service. These
pages aren't critical to the operation of your site like the Core
Site Pages are, but they help differentiate your site from others
in the field and give visitors a reason to choose to do business
with you.

Human Interest

People love the real person touch- if you don't believe that,
watch a little "reality TV"! People just like to learn about
other people. How can you relate that "real people" fascination
to your website?

How do people USE what you sell? How do your services improve
people's lives? A travel service isn't selling a hotel, it's
selling fun in the sun or amenities that make your time away from
home easier. Accounting software isn't just about the numbers;
it's about getting tasks done faster and more accurately with
more detail. A sporting goods site isn't just selling fishing
gear; it's selling relaxation. When you think about the benefits,
about WHY people want what you sell, it's a lot easier to
brainstorm creative content ideas.

A large plastics manufacturer created a section in their site
where people could send in amazing stories about how their
trashcans had survived falling trees and hurricanes. A baby
product site set up a photo gallery where customers could send in
their cutest pictures of their baby using the company's products.
A men's tie manufacturer invited customers to send in a picture
of their ugliest tie along with a few sentences about it- and
featured an ugly tie next to each wonderful new tie!

In all the examples above, the "human interest" content
reinforces the brand- strong, durable trashcans, products babies
love, ties that look great- while adding a little emotion and
interest. By focusing on the people and using the product as a
backdrop, you subtly reinforce the credibility of your brand.

Industry Pages

Establish credibility and authority by including information that
spans your industry. Many webmaster experts will encourage you to
write articles about your industry- this is a great idea. Try not
to simply parrot back what you've heard and read from others, but
add your own opinion to the article. Yes, people are interested
in your point of view! Articles can often be submitted to other
information sites in your industry, which is a great way to get
incoming links to your site.

Other author's industry articles are a great and fast way to
build content on your site. If you aren't much of a writer or
feel you have nothing to add to the information already
published, collect the best articles from your industry and (with
permission) reprint them on your site or link to them. While they
are not unique content, they can add value to your site if you
select them carefully. Don't reprint anything and everything
available- be selective and only reprint content that you agree
with and is helpful to your visitors. You want people to trust in
the information that you are recommending they read.

News feeds related to your industry can be a good idea too. RSS
is a way to syndicate your articles for others to pick up and a
way for you to integrate headlines from other sites on your own
pages. Watch for an article on RSS feeds in a future newsletter.

More to Come!

In part II of "What is Content?" we will look at ways to continue
to add fresh content, such as allowing users to interact with
your site and build content for you. We'll also look at other 
tools and resources you can add to your site that will draw 
traffic to your site and keep it coming back.

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Scottie Claiborne is the owner of Right Click Web Consulting
(http://www.rightclickwebs.com) and the facilitator of the
Successful Sites Newsletter (http://www.successful-sites.com).
She is a speaker at the Search Engine Strategies conferences and
the High Rankings Seminars as well as the Administrator of the
High Rankings Forum (http://www.highrankings.com/forum) and a
moderator at the Cre8asite Forums (http://www.cre8asiteforums.com/).
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