Content Is King

Most of us have heard this saying before.  Most of us know what it means.  Yet most of us hate writing content.  In case you don't know what the saying means, it means that content is the most important factor, hands down, in establishing a successful Internet presence.  The design of your website is very important, however content takes the cake without question and it has always been that way.

Internal Content vs.
External Content

Content strategy is broken down into internal content (that which is contained in your website) and external content (that which is linking to your website and contains your contact information outside of your website).  Content in your website is only one part of the content equation.  You need to also have multiple good links (content rich pages) linking to your website to increase your link popularity and visibility.  Listing your business website in multiple online directories and guides offer these external options.  Some even offer the opportunity to publish consumer facing editorials also, to increase your external content presence and the number of links pointing to your website. 

Benefits of Content Management Systems

Reversing Markets

Competition for targeted Internet visitors is tight and getting tighter as time goes on.  More and more businesses are establishing a successful Internet presence.  Many are beginning to learn that it takes content, not just a fancy design or brochure, to convert Internet visitors.  The reason is simple.  The end-user is now in control.

Access to the Internet and content for end-users has created a paradigm shift for the first time in consumer history known as 'Reversing Markets'.  For the first time, consumers now are in control of their learning and purchasing.  Prior to the commercialization of the Internet, consumers had to take the word of the company or brochure pitching them a product.  Information consumers had to accept whatever information was published and settle for it being the truth.   The Internet changed everything, for good.

Internet users and consumers go to the Internet for content and access to products and services.  If you want to succeed, you have to cater to their wishes.  That means considering every potential type of content your target users would want to read.  If you don't provide it for them, one of your competitors will.  Besides satisfying your visitors with content and hoping to differentiate yourself, there's also another key reason you need content, the search engines.

Being Found Online?

The search engines can only index your site for visitors to find if your site has content.  Content tells the search engines what your website is about.  If you don't have it, you are basically invisible to the search engines and the visitors that use them.

Summary:

Internal Content is needed for your target users because they demand it.  Content is said to be 'sticky' because it captures a user's attention and engages them for several minutes.  You need to accomplish this if you hope to convert Internet visitors into paying clients.  If you don't provide content, your competitors will, and your target users will become your competitor's clients.  Reversing markets dictates that the consumer is now in control.  Internal Content is also needed in order for the search engines to analyze your site and make it accessible to search engine visitors.

External Content is needed to increase visibility and increase link popularity.  Link popularity helps to increase the positioning of your website on the search engines.  Listing your business in multiple local directories and guides helps you achieve a greater external content presence.