Every small business (or large one, too) struggles with getting new customers on their website. It’s a fact of life. There is just so many different websites and companies online. The chance that someone is going to find your website specifically for their needs can be low. However, that is no reason to give up. There is one thing that every business, small or large, NEEDS to implement on their website immediately. The secret weapon I am alluding to here is simply this: text.
Whether it’s an article, book excerpt, etc., good quality text on your website has many impacts on driving your online presence:
SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of increasing your website ratings on search engines, like Google. This means that when a Google search is made that could include your business, your website will pop up before the ones of competitors. This is a game-changer in your website’s production.
Google, Bing, and other search engines have different ways they automatically determine certain aspects of the websites they host. These are called algorithms. And here is the important part, their algorithms love text! So, when you add an article or other such text to your site, it is going to help to ensure that potential clients see you first!
Engagement
Getting customers to engage with your website is also very difficult. Whether its signing up for an email newsletter, posting comments/reviews on articles and products you have listed, or emailing you directly concerning a question about your business, customer engagement is important.
So, how does text improve the engagement of your customers? This one might seem like a stretch, but it certainly isn’t. Consistent, good-quality text will help your customer see that your website is active. If a customer goes to your website and sees old, outdated, poorly written articles or news events, they are going to view the website as unprofessional. Even though it might be false, they are going to form opinions about you, your business, and your products/services in a negative way.
On the other hand, if a customer visits your website, and sees new, relevant, professional-looking articles and blogs, the opposite is going to happen. This will make them more likely to engage with the various features on your website, including reading more of the important content you have posted!
“Ok, I get it. I need text on my website. But what makes text good-quality or not?”
I’m glad you asked. Here is a few things that will help your writing to be more productive on your site:
The Flesch Reading Scale
Google, and other search engines, need to determine the quality of text on your website. One thing that they look for specifically is whether or not your text is easy to read. Obviously, the easier a text is to read, the more people it can be recommended to, which creates all the more chance that someone is going to find the rest of your business.
The way that some search engines test the readability of text is through the Flesch Reading Scale. The Flesch Reading Scale calculates the number of syllables per word and number of words per sentence in your text. Then, based on this information, it gives your text a readability score, 0-100. 0 being very difficult to read, and 100 being very easy to read. Websites with texts that consistently score high on this test have a higher chance of being recommended to more people.
One company that provides a resource for you to check your work is Yoast. If you’d like to learn more about the Flesch Reading Scale and its benefits, click their article here.
Fully Developed Thoughts
This, although seemingly easy, is often overlooked by business owners. The main thing to keep in mind here is to make sure that your text has a beginning, middle and end, just like a story. Take a look at this article, for instance. It has an introduction into the topic being discussed, a middle, with the logic and reasoning for all points, and an ending, which attempts to entice the reader to further engage with the website and its functions. Most business owners, when writing content for their website, will miss this point completely. To ensure that YOU don’t, it can be helpful to start with an outline, or a plan of what you are going to write, and make sure that all parts are complete before you begin typing.
This applies to small quotes as well. Here is an example of something you might have on your website:
“Here, at Example Business, we give you only the highest quality parts for your bike.”
That’s not bad, but try this:
“Here, at Example Business, we take pride in ensuring that every bike part we provide is of the highest quality. We do this by selecting each part with our unique testing system to ensure that each part that leaves our facility will be a positive improvement for your bike. Email us below if you are interested in learning more.”
See? Beginning, middle, and end. It not only provides a positive statement, like the first one, it also backs it up, and provides a welcoming way for customers’ questions to be answered. This ensures that they can make a purchase they feel comfortable with.
Don’t Go Overboard
Not everything has to be a whole paragraph, however. You can break up these thoughts and spread them out over a page, just make sure that all parts are there!
We Can Help!
At e Market Designs, we have a team of people that can aid you in crafting good-quality text for your website. Whether you are a fluent writer or not, we can help! If you’re looking for a new topic, article revisions, or an entire article, we have the tools and knowledge to help you accomplish your goals. If this, or any other web design/digital advice sounds helpful, email Andy at [email protected] today!
