Every marketer knows that content is king. This is especially true for websites. Whether your site is for personal use, your business, a non-profit, or e-commerce, you will undoubtedly need great website content to drive traffic and create conversions.
3 Common Mistakes Website Owners Make
Every website owner should strive for content useful to the user experience and encourages visitors to return frequently. However, websites often bog down users with useless information and bloated web pages. Knowing where to include key content throughout your website will help reduce bounce rates and retain your audience.
Our Content Specialist, Aaron Sprengeler, is here to share some common mistakes to avoid.
Lengthy, Irrelevant Headlines
The headline of your page is key to making a good first impression. Writing short, catchy primary headlines for your landing pages is a great way to capture your audience’s attention. Be sure that your headline answers the question, “What is this page about?” and includes a simple secondary description to enhance the headline.
Once you have a concise, informative headline and a secondary description, put it to the test and practice reading the page copy out loud. Ask yourself, “Could a stranger understand the purpose of this page in 5-10 seconds?” If it’s unclear who the company is and what you do, consider revising and moving the key copy closer to the beginning of the page.
Missing Calls-to-Action
A call-to-action (CTA) is content that prompts website visitors to act. The action could be anything, including installing an app, signing up for a newsletter, claiming a coupon code, and more. Calls-to-action are key in directing site traffic and are a great way to turn visitors into qualified leads. Generally, they appear as buttons, images, and anchor text.
When creating CTAs, limiting copy to two to six words and using phrases that create a sense of urgency is important. Avoid generic CTAs like “Click Here” or “Submit” and instead use actionable language like “Download Now” or “Start Your 7-day Free Trial.” It is also a good idea to align your CTA with your landing page copy and make it stand out with appropriate size, placement, and contrasting design.
Poor Organization and Site Structure
Good site structure is important to support content across your entire website. It will increase your audiences’ time spent on the site, allow search engines to index your pages more easily, and help your SEO. If your website is more than a single landing page, your site map should include a dedicated homepage, an “about” page, a “content” page, and a blog.
Homepages should contain minimal copy, eye-catching images, and CTAs to direct users to additional pages and links. Your “about” page should be home to valuable company information such as your mission, history, services, benefits, and testimonials. “Contact” pages should include clear contact information, including email addresses, phone numbers, shipping and storefront addresses, a contact form, and relevant links. Don’t leave your “contact” page with just a contact form; it can frustrate a site visitor who wants to ask a question without giving too much personal information.
Remember to write appropriate headlines for all your pages that clearly explain their purpose and include links to newsletter signups, social media channels, key pages, and basic contact information on the footers of each page.
Big Picture Takeaway
Content can make or break a site. Good site structure, rich copy, and effective CTAs are essential to any digital marketing strategy.
Likely Impact
- Drive more site traffic and improve audience engagement
- Generate more leads in your marketing funnel to drive conversions
- Improve SEO and rank higher in search results
The Bottom Line
A strong digital presence starts with a great website that converts guests into customers. It’s important that your content reflects your business, establishes trust, contains effective calls-to-action, and targets your ideal audience.
Want to learn more about how Search & Convert can help grow your business? Our team is here and ready to help! Email us at pm@searchandconvert.com!