Engaging content can turn clicks into sales

If you’re investing time, talent, and resources into building an online store, then you’ve surely heard that "sticky" sites are a must. These are sites that persuade viewers to keep clicking through multiple pages.

When Web sites offer an array of compelling pages, visitors are motivated to explore your offerings. The more time and attention they give to your online store and related pages, the more likely they will make a purchase.

Sticky sites are the result of a number of factors, including smart design, intuitive navigation, and the trust you build with accurate product descriptions and clear benefits. (For tips, see "5 ways to make your e-commerce site 'sticky.'")

But perhaps the most critical element in creating stickiness is the kind of content you publish.

Not convinced? Consider.

The Internet Activity Index is a measure of consumer engagement online tracked by the Online Publishers Association. This index shows that from September 2006 to September 2007, content was the only one of four categories to increase its share of viewer time spent online—up 10 percent, from 45.1 percent to 49.6 percent. (The other three categories are communications, commerce, and search.)

The time spent with content increased 1.5 hours per month, with people spending an average of 7.5 hours with content per month, greater than any other category.

So what makes the right content? Ah, that’s the challenge.

Below, you’ll find guidelines about choosing content designed to attract your best customer. You’ll also find advice about how to repurpose and refresh content.

Acquire content that will attract your ideal customer

Before posting any content, identify your online customer and categorize the needs you want to satisfy. Think like someone who’s just landed on your site. What would help you or cause you to drill down?

Then consider the types of content you will provide, how to make it useful for target customers, and how you will provide it.

An insurance broker, for example, might create a Resources section to include features and advice about insurance policies and premium comparisons. (Remember that such information must be regularly updated so that it remains timely.)

He might license a few interactive calculators that let prospects input personal data to figure how much coverage they need. That not only serves consumer needs, but also motivates browsers to click further into the site, thus driving interest and potentially, sales.

A broker should also post prominent contact information on every site page because most insurance buyers want to get acquainted on the phone or face-to-face before they buy.

By contrast, an e-tailer that sells cosmetics needs content that is less transactional, and more entertaining and light. She might create or license a news ticker application to scroll fashion and health headlines across the screen. She could run studies about the latest skin-care research or news of the holistic and environmental efforts of cosmetics makers.

All of this would not only engage visitor interest but also emphasize that her shop is hip and up-to-speed with the latest trends.

Overall, you’re looking to create content that solves a problem or answers a question for visitors who buy your wares.

Develop a plan to create and schedule the content

You’ll need to develop content on an ongoing basis, of course. And you’ll need a range of content, not just a video clip or two.

Figure out how you will organize and create the content over several months. Formulate clear answers to these questions:

• How will you produce the content? Will you hire a Web writer or perhaps license syndicated content?
• What is the goal of each page on the site?
• How often will you update which types of content?
• What resources do you need to manage and maintain the content?

You also want to build in some flexibility, so you can quickly respond to events or changes in your industry. An online toy store, for example, could outshine its competitors by launching ongoing coverage about the current issues of toy safety and lead-free imports.

As your business ramps up, and if you anticipate an ongoing program with, say, lots of product descriptions or a robust blogging channel, it may be worthwhile to automate the process with content-management software. There are now affordable, off-the-shelf applications for e-commerce, including some that can be licensed for as little as $1,000. When you’re ready for that next step up, such applications can help organize and streamline the development of content, allowing multiple users to control, track, publish, and create files (including multimedia) and documents.

Here are six other best practices:

1. Don’t create the content yourself.   Frequently, small-business owners try to contain costs by writing their own Web copy. But just as it’s not smart to cut corners on product safety or quality, it’s also not wise to post amateur content. Invest in professional copywriting (unless, of course, that’s what you do). Plus, make sure every word is proofread—several times. If you think customers will overlook misspelled words and grammatical errors, think again.
2. Write content that is accessible to every user.   Whether it’s product descriptions, white papers, search function copy, customer testimonials, or user-generated videos, stick to the basics. Don’t publish a lot of jargon, slang, or technical language that users may not like or understand.
3. Test for platform compatibility and ease-of-use.   Before posting any new content, test it on every platform, operating system, and channel that your customers might use. Visitors don’t bother to report Web site errors. They simply click off. It’s up to you to keep every page working smoothly.
4. Change the content often.   Create a schedule that regularly refreshes or resurfaces your content. With digital cameras and Web-building software, you can quickly change text or images. Set up a schedule for updates every two or three weeks.
5. Don’t overlook the archive channel.   When designing or upgrading a site to accommodate content, it takes little extra cost and effort to add a section for archiving. This channel can be wonderfully useful to list press releases, videos of any media or conference appearances, product specs, industry news, white-paper briefings, or sales presentations. You never know when a client might remember some data point or presentation and return to view it.
6. Make it an ongoing process.   The most common mistake, say many experts, is doing everything right in launching your content channel but then walking away and letting it languish. The last thing you want is content that looks dated. Because if your content looks old, so will your products.

Your end goal should be to create content that will engage your visitor in lively and memorable ways. Of course, your content should also showcase your products and services.

Luckily, developing great content is a process that you can improve and refine over time. Just get started and keep working at it.

About the author   Joanna L. Krotz is the founder of Muse2Muse Productions, a custom content company for business and consumer magazines, newsletters, and digital imprints. Krotz has launched marketing Web sites and e-news portals, as well as created magazines and online marketing for a variety of companies. She is co-author of The Microsoft Small Business Kit, a 500-page guide to launching and running a small business.