The Five Cs of Great Web Content

Website content strategyCreating fresh web content is essential if your website is to succeed; all the evidence on web success points to the fact that websites which get regularly updated are the ones which have the most readers and ultimately the most business for their sector. If you want to truly succeed with your website or blog, you need to be constantly adding new content.

But what kind of content should you add? If you follow these “Five Cs” you will automatically create terrific web content which will attract more readers and keeps them loyal.

1. Current

Your web content needs to be current. Having web content which is about topics that are no longer “of the moment” is a waste of time and effort. Your web content needs to be about “the latest” or things which are topical or in the news. Write about the most recent things, the activities that are going on today in your business sector and you will attract readers. People love to read about stuff that is up-to-date; they don’t want to read old, out-of-date material. So don’t write about the past – write about “now”.

2. Compatible

People want content which is compatible with their needs and requirements. It has to be relevant to them and to their interests. Writing stuff you are interested in, but which is not compatible with your readers is a sure-fire way to fewer visitors and readers. So, you need to write content that your readers want – and if you don’t know what they want, find out. Do a survey, speak to them – anything to find out how to make your content more relevant and interesting to the people you serve. You are not writing for yourself, you are writing for them.

3. Curious

Your web content needs to spark interest in people by making them say things like “that’s amazing” or “wow” or “I didn’t know that” or “that’s different”. Telling people what they already know or what is so ordinary they are not curious is likely to make them click away from your pages. What you need is unusual content, material they haven’t heard of before or something that adds a new twist to existing ideas. Steer clear of being ordinary…!

4. Controversial

Web content or a blog post which doesn’t make people consider whether or not you are right is so bland that it will simply wash over them. What you want is blog content that sparks debate, which people might either disagree with or want to nod their heads in complete agreement. You need web content which has a “position” or “take” on things and which is not merely a statement of fact. People engage with controversy and conflicting argument more than they do with the bland and boring.

5. Characters

The best web content is human, it involves people and has identifiable characters and names. We all love stories, particularly when they revolve around other people. Having real, identifiable individual characters within your blog posts and web pages is a brilliant way of ensuring you get greater engagement with your content. Focus on providing human interest in your web content – after all that’s what Martha Payne did in her blog about her school dinners or Susan Kelley does in her blog about the fashion worn by the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton.

So, there you have it – five central components of content for your website or blog which will help make your blog terrific.

To get advice on producing content for your website click here to discover my Content Strategy Service.

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