5 

Steps to Creating Compelling Website Content

By Lena Rose

Many business owners build a website and wait for visitors to come. But visitors
won't come if all you've built is a snazzy site that's big on aesthetic appeal.

Your site's visitors need more.

They need compelling content in order to stay on your site to sample what you
have to offer. How can you create a website that attracts prospects and
customers?

1. Format your text.  Make sure your web pages are easy to read. Web visitors scan rather than
read word for word. So use short paragraphs with relevant, descriptive headlines. Use bold text
and bullet points for clarity. 

2. Engage with your copy.  Is your message clear? Your home page should tell what you do and
who you work with as well as the benefits you offer. Speak to the challenges that your audience
faces and offer solutions. This is the number one reason why web visitors click away - they don't
find anything on your site that speaks to them directly or compels them to stay. 

3. Have a call to action. Many website owners end their web pages without telling their audience
what to do next. Should they click on a link? Lead them deeper into your site by having them go
somewhere. 

4. It's in the design.  A good looking site is a big part of the equation in creating compelling
content. Visitors scan the overall look and feel of your site before they decide to settle down and
read your copy.  All this may take only a fraction of a second. But it registers nonetheless. Are the
colors appropriate for your kind of business? 

5. Say it with pictures and audio and video. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. On a
website, pictures and words complement each other. Consequently, it's important to use only
relevant images that enhance and make the text come alive. So if your website is about real estate
in Winnepeg, Canada, you wouldn't want to use a picture of a beach in the Bahamas.

Using other interactive elements on your site such as audio and video are also powerful tools to
engage your prospects and customers.

Build your website with the above-mentioned five steps to creating compelling content in mind. Your
content will be more engaging and you'll get web visitors to further explore the rich, full content of your
site. It's a surefire way to make your business successful as you engage visitors and lead them down the
path of retaining your services or purchasing your product.   
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Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved. Lena Rose is CEO of the Rose Media Group, a business technology
solutions company. She is co-author of the book, "Marketing with New Media: A Guide to Promoting Your
Small Business Using Websites, E-Zines, Blogs & Podcasts. Order the book. For more information, visit
www.rosemediagroup.jm.com.