Insights
Let’s be honest – creating website content can feel a bit daunting. But it’s also one of the most rewarding parts of building your online presence and is an exciting opportunity to showcase what makes your community special.
Your website’s content does more than just inform; it welcomes visitors, guides them through your story, and shows them why your community stands out. That’s why clear and engaging content is so crucial. By focusing on clarity, targeting the right audience, and making navigation easy, you can turn the daunting task of content creation into a powerful tool for building lasting connections.
Clear Messaging
The first place to start building content is by analyzing your brand, goals, and objectives. Having a strong brand with a recognizable voice, specific organizational goals, and an established strategic plan paints a detailed picture of who you are, where you want to be, and how you’ll get there.
These ideas can be complex, however, and most website users have limited time and attention. In fact, the average time spent on a webpage is only around 54 seconds. To maximize the amount of time users spend on your website, you’ll want to share your message so it is easy for users to understand and retain by using simple, concise language that prevents confusion or loss of interest.
Targeted Content
Not only is it important for your website content to be clear, but it should also be targeted to the right audiences. If you don’t know your target audience, you can read our blog, Creating an Effective Marketing Strategy for Your Economic Development Organization, that discusses how to identify target audiences and develop buyer personas.
Once you’ve determined who your target audience is, you can create content that is relevant and meaningful. Focus on your audience’s specific challenges, demonstrate how your community solves these challenges, and establish your community as the right choice for them and their business.
Easy to Navigate
Your website may be the first interaction someone has with your community. If visitors land on your site and can’t quickly find what they’re looking for, they’re likely to leave. With your messaging and target audiences established, you will want your website to be easy to navigate. This can be achieved through a combined effort of structured content and intuitive design.
Develop a Sitemap
Think of a sitemap as the bones of your website. It is the structure and organization of your website’s pages. Your sitemap should be developed based on your overall content goals.
Tips
Outline: there are many ways to develop your sitemap, but the simplest way is to start with an outline.
User Journey: As you create your sitemap, you’ll also want to consider your desired user journey on the website. What content should people see first and what is the ultimate action you are driving them to take?
Work with Design
Your website content doesn’t have to be complete to get started on design, but you should have a strong idea of what will be on the website when you build out your sitemap. Carefully consider your website content and determine what information should be most prominent and easily accessible to users. From there, work with your designer to create a website that elevates your content and overall organizational goals.
Build it Out
All that’s left is to present! How you present your content is just as important as what you share. Once design has been completed, our team will develop your website with user experience as a top priority and provide it with the tools to grow and change as your organization grows and your goals change.
In conclusion, when your content is clear, engaging, and easy to navigate, it helps visitors feel at home and excited about what your community has to offer.
If you need further assistance, partnering with EDSuite allows us to help you create focused content and bring your vision to life, ensuring your website stays a vibrant, effective tool for connecting with people and showcasing your community’s strengths.
To learn more about website creation, read our blogs about Design and Development.