In our previous blog, we explained how having too little website content on your website could hurt your business. Now we’re going to take a look at the flip side of that coin: When you have too much content.
Oh yes, it is possible to have too much content on your website. And yes, having too much can hurt. But how? Well, let’s say you’re in the business of selling coffee. Your website is loaded with information – each product that you sell has its own page, giving the history of the coffee beans and the methods you should follow to brew the perfect cup. In addition, you have a blog that you update daily and several resources pages on the coffee itself and how you came about to pick the coffee featured in your business.
Wow, that’s a ton of great info you gave your customers! But, we just want to buy coffee. Where can we get it and how much is it going to cost us?
Let’s be realistic here – no matter how great you are at turning a phrase, no one is going to read all your great website content. It’s sad but true. A page that may have taken you three hours to write will only be scanned for the information the customer is looking for. And if it takes the customer more than a few minutes to find that information, chances are you’re going to lose that customer.
So how much is the right amount of website content? There’s no magic number of pages. You have to keep in mind the following when creating content for a website:
- Think like your audience – Let’s go back to the coffee business scenario. Your typical customer is someone who loves coffee and is looking to buy the best type, something that you can’t find at your typical grocery store. So instead of telling your customer the best brewing temperature for a typical coffee bean, you want to tell your customer why he/she should be buying your coffee. Why is it the best? What will it taste like? How much will it cost? Can I purchase it online or do I have to go to a store? The better your content is, the more likely your customers will stay on your site and buy your products.
- Don’t forget your SEO – Google ranks your page not just by how many times you have a particular keyword in your content. These days, search engines rank by the quality of the content. Yes, keywords are still important; however, if you’re writing just to rank on a particular keyword, you’re doing it wrong.
- Pay attention to your analytics – Looking at your Google Analytics is a great way to find out what pages are getting attention and which aren’t. Sure the front page and the contact us page are probably the top pages that are getting the attention, but what else. For instance, you notice an increase in views on a page about the different ways you can use your coffee. Why not create a recipes page featuring your product? Or you see your page on the history of coffee is not doing well. Maybe you should take that one down and do this instead….
- Make that page a blog post – Let’s say you have a really great resource page but no one is paying attention to it. Don’t get rid of that page just yet. Consider making it into a blog post or a series of blog posts. You might reach a different audience who could potentially become a customer.
The main thing to remember when creating content for your website is keeping your customer in mind. They’re the ones who are coming to your site to learn about your brand and purchase your products or services. And if you have too much or not enough information, you’re not going to succeed.
And of course, we’re always here to help! Contact ENX2 Marketing and our marketing experts will help you with your website content.