Importance of Content

Once potential customers visit your site, you do not want them to leave and never return. Give your visitors a reason to return by:

• Creating a blog
• Creating a forum
• Distributing a newsletter
• Creating a subscription-based website
• Creating CONTENT, CONTENT and MORE CONTENT
• OH..Did I mention content? (just want to make sure...)

If you create a website with none of the above features and the content is stale (never or rarely changes), what would be the reason for a visitor to return? Think of a few of your favorite sites that you have either bookmarked or go to on a consistent basis. More than likely, the site draws you back in, due to more information - something new that you want to see that was not there before. Maybe you have subscribed to a newsletter on a company's website or subscribed to an RSS feed.

Not only do your visitors love dynamic content but so do the search engines! New content, in combination with other search engine optimization techniques helps to drive your pages to the top of searches.

Creating a steady stream of blog posts - or basically articles, keeps your content fresh and keeps site visitors interested and engaged. If you are a real estate company with a blog on your website and you create posts that deal with topics such as obtaining mortgages, financing issues or locating properties, visitors can respond to those posts. It is a win-win situation for you as the small business owner and your visitors because they are not only receiving important information that they can respond to and learn from but you are now in a position to share your knowledge and expertise with the public. As a result, this could increase your customer base because your company could be the first one that people remember when they need a mortgage for a new home.

The main difference between a blog and a website is that a blog is typically updated frequently and a website is not. Also, a blog tends to have a personality because the writing tends to be more personable and engaging than the more formal presentation style of a website. Many companies now have blogs with their websites and some exclusively have blogs.

You may be thinking, "How on earth will I be able to write blog posts all the time?" A very important and enlightening lesson that I have learned in creating this website and others is that the more you write, the easier it becomes. You really do find your voice IF - I must emphasize the if - IF you are interested in the topic and you enjoy what you are doing. Unfortunately, that may not always be the case. Just because a person has a business does not mean that you want to write about it on an ongoing basis. And let's face it, not everyone likes to write - which is not a bad thing. Assuming that you really do enjoy it, focus on sharing your knowledge and the experience that your have accumulated.

We often sell ourselves short on what of value we can share with others or how we can help them. Many times, we assume that everyone knows what we know. We all have strengths and we are all passionate about something. Why not find a way to turn that "passion" into a business venture and share your experiences and knowledge with others. You may be surprised at the results.