Effective website design, of course, affects user behavior – with the help of bright and animated elements you can attract attention, call for targeted actions and simply create a certain atmosphere on the site. However, if the content on the site does not meet users’ expectations, is of poor quality, or is poorly viewed, then the design will not help – the client will leave for a competitor. In this article, we will talk about how to choose the right content for the website, where to do it, and what users’ needs should be satisfied by the information on the website.
TYPES OF CONTENT ON THE SITE
Let’s understand what kind of content can be on the site:
- Visual – all kinds of images, graphics, and video content. What we perceive as graphic information.
- Textual – blog articles, company information, text descriptions of the product, and everything related to the text.
- Factual – tables, instructions, privacy policies, and other documents, graphics, and that content that are based on different data.
Each type of content should be present on the site for the user to fully understand what the company is all about, and to increase customer confidence. If there is no text on the site, the user will not be able to find out the terms of interest, even if all the information is presented in pictures. People are used to absorbing information through text, so textual content is extremely important for users.
The same can be said about the visual – if the site will be only a canvas of text, the user will not pay attention to it and will go to other resources. Images help a person perceive information.
With the help of icons, information is perceived more easily through associations. Images help people more easily “read” text and understand it.
Where do you get website content for good design and how can you create it? The designer always works with specialists of various profiles who help him create a layout, taking into account the interests of the target audience and the company’s activities. Only an individual approach to the brand allows you to make a site that will be remembered by users.
VISUAL CONTENT: CREATION AND DESIGN
Visual is one of the most important components of design. The first impression of the user about the site and the general atmosphere of the resource depends on how well the visual part of the layout is created. Where to take and how to create visual content for the site? Consider several ways.
Unique photos and images
The best way to create visual content on a website is through unique images and illustrations. With the help of professional photographers and illustrators, designers can develop a unique layout that meets all brand requirements. A good first impression, recognition of the company, and presence of corporate identity on the site – all this will be another tool to increase sales.
TEXTS: WHERE TO GET CONTENT FOR THE SITE
Text content is the information that is another way to increase the conversion of the site. With the help of text, the client learns the terms of purchase and decides on purchasing the product. Designers also need to consider textual content when developing a layout. Therefore, designers should pay special attention when creating a layout with text. Where can I get text content for a website?
The best and most correct way is to write unique texts, which will be aimed at the target audience of the site and tell about a particular product. Such texts are written by seo content writers, so designers are better to work with professionals. Texts should tell directly about the company and reveal all the benefits of cooperation for the client.
You can write yourself (which is problematic, because the owner of an online store is full of other worries), or order from specialists. If your site is ready – find a good copywriter or journalist. One person should fill the entire site – then the texts will not differ in style. Well, if you want to create an online store from scratch – then contact a content writing service or agency, for example. Many agencies and studios hire content specialists. They will work in conjunction with other employees – programmers, web designers, and layout designers.
WHAT SHOULD TEXTS BE LIKE?
- Sales texts. An online store is a site for business. Any description, article, or news should encourage the visitor to take a targeted action: add a product to the cart, buy it, or leave his contact details… After reading it the visitor should be convinced that he needs the product, and understand how to buy it. If this is not the case – then the texts will not work.
- Useful. Online store – this is not an informational site. And not even a corporate one. Ordinary articles and news do not go here – people visit the resource to choose and buy goods, not to read stories about the creation of the company and the team of “highly qualified professionals with extensive experience.” Not only is such wording already bad form – they just won’t be read. After all, they’re not useful to readers. This does not mean that the history of the company and your team should not be mentioned at all. Yes, it does. But do it very skillfully, so as not to fall out of the selling format. Roughly speaking, even these texts should sell.
- SEO-optimized. Online stores are well-indexed in search engines – which means you can look at the statistics of keywords and use them in your texts. Keep in mind that it is no longer necessary to use crooked keys like “buy cheap discount women’s clothing. Now you can change the keys and make them readable.
- Informative. Beware of fuzzy language: not “young, the dynamic company” (it’s about nothing, and the same stamp and clerical), and “we have been in the market for 5 years and have served over 5000 customers. That is less water, more specific – the so-called “meat”. It’s a good idea to bolt on the site counter, which will update the data (for example, the number of views, the number of products on the site, the number of orders placed, and so on).
TYPES OF TEXTS FOR THE ONLINE STORE
Text on the main page
On the main page of the site should not be lengthy arguments of all ten reasons to buy from you. Always think about the customer: here he comes to your site, what he needs? First, to understand where he is, and second – to find out how he gets here. So act on this! There are several options for designing the home page:
- briefly tell him what kind of store you have, and what goods are sold. For example: “Hello, you’re in the online store XXX. Here you will find products for YY and ZZZ. Sit down and take your pick!”;
- give a unique selling proposition, to interest the visitor;
- If your store has obvious bonuses (free shipping, convenient terms, low prices) – write about them, but briefly;
- if you have discounts or sales, new goods arrived, or maybe you want to sell off leftover collections – write about it and give links to the appropriate sections. Advertising a bright banner on the home page is a great solution. Text in the banner should also be brief and succinct.
1) The text “About the company” (“About us”)
It’s better to put this in a separate section of the menu. The text “About Us” should not be too long and about nothing.
What should be in the text “About Us”?
Brief information about who you are and what you do. You can expand on what you wrote about on the home page. Always keep in mind the benefits and needs of the customer: write what he wants to know and what you can give him personally;
The benefits of ordering from your online store (real, not wretched out of thin air). And again, do not write about yourself, but about the benefits of the customer. A little secret: use not “I-statements,” but “you-statements. For example, not “we work around the clock.” but “you can call our store even at 2 a.m. – and you’ll be served.” Do you feel the difference?
Your company’s mission and values. For example you never cheat customers, you take care of perfect service, you always give feedback and respond to complaints;
A good move is to talk about your team in person. Post pictures of your employees, write their names, and tell them who holds what position. If employees don’t mind, give some personal information. This kind of content makes your store go from impersonal to lively. Customers will relate to a manager very differently if they see her photo and read what she likes to do in her spare time. Who would you rather chat with – a faceless bot in the online consultant window or a very real girl Tanya, who collects cacti and sings in a rock band on weekends?
2) Question and answer block
In a separate section tell about the most popular questions customers ask. For example, how to order a product, what method of delivery is used, whether discounts are provided, and everything the customer wants to know. Yes, perhaps each case has its nuances, and your customers will still torture the employees with questions. But the Q&A will help you optimize their work and reduce the time for endless explanations.
Keep the answers as simple and clear as possible – as you would explain them to a friend or child. Remember that your customers can be not only advanced young people who swim on the Internet like a fish in the water but also modest housewives and young pensioners. Write for them – the experienced will figure it out, and the inexperienced will thank you.
3) Blog articles
If your online store has a blog, that’s just great! Blog articles do not have direct selling functions (although no one is stopping you from talking about your assortment and providing links to product cards). But they do give readers value – they talk about interesting things. If good content is published regularly, readers get hooked and start visiting the blog to see if there’s anything new. And you get extra traffic and gain the trust of your customers.
Another plus: blog articles are good to distribute to all possible channels: posting to the group of an online store in social networks, do e-mail distribution. If the content is cool – the readers themselves will start distributing it, providing recognition of your brand, and making it popular.
What kind of articles can you publish on your blog?
- Product reviews with comparative characteristics;
- photo collections with comments;
- expert articles. Ideally, if you or your employees act as experts;
- interviews on the topic;
- entertaining articles. You can’t do without humor, even if your topics are serious, like building materials or IT technology. Look for funny stories on the Internet, tell life stories, and work situations. Even the dialogue between customers and managers in the chat room will do – sometimes you meet such pearls!
The subject matter of the blog articles depends on your field of activity. For example, if you sell women’s clothing – write about fashion trends, give materials from designer shows, and make up images of their products. If your profile – is good for kids, involve a child psychologist and publish materials for parents. If you sell sporting goods – make a selection of exercises, makeup diets, and days off, and publish motivating before and after photos. And so in every field.
