There is still the belief that, when developing a website, the most important thing is the design. That is why no one will be surprised that in a normal website the design can cost more than 1,000 euros, and instead more than one does not understand that the contents can be worth almost the same. However, a well-designed page will not achieve a good position in Google or that users are interested in the products or services we offer if it does not offer good web content. That is why it cannot be done by just anyone nor can it be done in a moment. It requires talent, investment of time and, almost always, experience.
Web content makes the difference
The first thing we have to bear in mind is that people are not going to visit a website and consider hiring services or buying products if it is not for the content that is offered and how it is presented. And if you do not consider that, much less will you share your content on social networks, through links on other websites or I would even recommend it word of mouth. If the contents are not satisfactory, users will go to another website that does offer them what they are looking for.
Web content, therefore, has to be of quality, unpublished, relevant and useful . In addition, of course, it must be presented with an attractive design, which favors readability and generates trust, and an intuitive structure that allows easy location of what is sought and facilitates interaction with the company or person.
To ensure that these contents reach that level of quality, we will not only have to think about texts. Obviously the texts are the fundamental thing, but we must also choose suitable images , especially the main image, that capture the attention at first glance. In addition, it is increasingly necessary to complete content with videos, and even comparators or infographics, or gamification elements, which are halfway between design, programming and content generation.
Only if a web content is unpublished, relevant and useful will we encourage ourselves to read it to the end and, perhaps, share it on social networks or quote it on our blog. It is then that Google detects that it is relevant and assigns it a better position in its ranking, increasing the reputation of our company and its potential to attract new customers. In fact, Google puts content to the fore, as your page recognizes.
Web content makes the difference between two companies that compete for the sale or offer of the same products or services. You can always explain something better (in writing, or with videos, or with better images than the competition), from the advantages of a product or the purchase process, to offering expert advice or curiosities.
These companies should try that after visiting their website, the user has learned something and, if it can be, they want to share some content and come back another time. That alone will bring more visits to them and, thus, more potential customers than the other, something that will benefit them in Google positioning and therefore even more potential customers.
First of all, we must bear in mind that a website is a communication tool , and as such we must conceive and use it. We must ensure that the user finds in it the information he was looking for. That will be what will make you buy or hire products or services from us and / or share our website so that it reaches more public.
Advertising is NOT a substitute for good web content
There are some companies that think that they do not need good web content because even if they do not have a good positioning, they already attract clicks through advertising. However, they are wrong because the contents not only influence the positioning but also the rate of online purchase or request for information of products or services once the user is already in the page.
The more quality, relevance and usefulness our content has, the more trust we will generate in the user, and therefore the more we will predispose them to buy or ask for information. On the other hand, with poor content, users will have more incentive to leave the page to compare with others that offer better information, and therefore instill that trust that we will not have given them.
Quality web content makes us money
In reality, the fact that quality content on a website generates more trust in the user not only reverts to a predisposition to buy. It also discourages others who, with unattractive or incomplete content, would have contacted us to resolve doubts and would have made us waste time before ending up rejecting us.
How many times has the owner of a furniture store wished that only customers who were half convinced to buy would enter his store and not those who, no matter how much time you invest in serving them, never end up buying anything? Well, on a website, quality content helps filter those customers and makes those most willing to hire or buy contact us and, therefore, easier to convince. Earning money will mean a lower investment. For this reason, the commercial value of the contents is so high, at the same level as a good web design.
4 examples of quality web content
Below we will see several examples of how the contents of a website affect the user experience and therefore its positioning, its reputation and its ability to generate new customers.
Practical case # 1 : web of made-to-measure curtains
A web of custom curtains that does not offer prices due to the great variation that they can present according to type, fabric, measurements, etc., must enhance other aspects of its services to ensure that users end up asking for information about its services. And for this, quality web content is essential.
In the previous image we can see two screenshots of the page at the top that correspond to two different websites of custom curtain stores. Both correctly understand the communicative function of a web page, interspersing informative texts and professional images. However, they have the following drawbacks.
- The texts are too short and do not satisfy a demand for exhaustive information on each product.
- The conceptualization can be improved , since it only incorporates texts and images, without elements that enhance readability.
- The texts and images are not distributed in a harmonious and attractive way .
At the bottom of the image we see two captures of the same page from another web of custom curtains. The improvements in the contents with respect to the two previous websites are:
- They are more extensive and informative, with definition of the type of curtain, the uses it can be given, its measurements, its specifications and its advantages.
- They are better conceptualized to favor readability and improve the user experience, with image gallery , a table, a list, a box for a featured service, etc.
- The proportion and distribution of the different visual elements, white spaces and text it’s harmonic.
Thanks to good web content: the user knows if a vertical curtain is really what he was looking for for the type of space in which he wants to hang it, from what options installation, what width of slat you have at your disposal, its advantages, etc. Although you may need to call to find out more about prices, measurements, etc., you will most likely contact the second one before, which gives you more facilities and also offers a contact form on the same page.
Practical case # 2 : beauty center website
Beauty centers have great competition on the internet. The appearance of websites called software as a service such as Treat Well or Bucmi, which are both allies and competitors, makes it necessary to redouble efforts to offer good content if they want users to use their website to request an appointment for services instead of doing it on these platforms.
In the previous image we can see two page captures at the top that correspond to two different websites of beauty centers in Barcelona.
The one on the left presents the contents in an attractive and harmonious way, but they have a main problem:
- The conceptualization and comprehensiveness can be improved because it is limited to presenting good images and the listing of services and their prices, without further information explaining those services, and that is not enough to differentiate yourself from the competition.
The one on the right, in pink tones, understands the communicative function of its website well than the one on the right, but has the following disadvantages in the content:
- The proportion and distribution of the different visual elements, whitespace and text is not harmonic .
- The conceptualization can be greatly improved , since it does not offer images professionals of the results of the services or other visual elements.
At the bottom of the image we see two captures of the same page from another website of an aesthetic center. The improvements in the contents with respect to the two previous websites are:
- They are more extensive and informative , with a definition of the service, its differential feature, the different prices and modalities, images of the results and what it consists of step by step.
- They are better conceptualized to favor readability and improve the user experience, and thus favor the request for appointments. This is done through price tables, image gallery, box, appointment request form, numbered list, etc. Also, include the price and location of the service at the top of the page.
- The proportion and distribution of the different visual elements, white spaces and text it’s harmonic.
Thanks to good web content: the user knows how much a manicure is worth and where he should go to get it done, what it will consist of, what products and professionals it will be carried out with and how the results look. It has all the information you need to decide to book that service without wasting time asking or losing anyone, while on the other page you could have many questions and you might have to take the trouble to call to resolve them. In addition, you can make an appointment on the same page.
Practical case # 3 : professional photographer website
It is clear that the website of a professional photographer will rarely present bad images, since they are his product, and that is an advantage, because it ensures the quality of one of the most important content elements. However, some photographers think that a sample of their work is enough to attract clients, and that is not always the case, among other things, because many photographers have a good product. In addition, when we look for a photographer, we tend to want to find how much they charge, and the latter is something that some are reluctant to reveal on their website.
In the previous image we can see two page captures at the top that correspond to two different websites of culinary photographers.
The one on the left quite correctly conceives the communicative purpose of the web, with texts that accompany the images, however, it shows serious problems when exposing its services through the contents:
- conceptualization and exhaustiveness can be improved because it is limited to presenting good images, with a gallery that is not attractive and does not look good on mobile phones, and a short text, without more information about its services (such as the price), and that it is not enough to differentiate yourself from the competition.
- The proportion and distribution of the different visual elements, whitespace and text is not harmonic . Also, readability on pages with a black background is higher than on pages with light backgrounds.
The one on the right makes the image the only content on the page, and presents it in a very attractive way, but this content has the following weak points:
- The conceptualization and exhaustiveness can be improved because it is limited to presenting good images, without more information that explains that service (such as the price), and that is not enough to differentiate itself from the competition.
At the bottom of the image we see two captures from the same page from another website by a professional culinary photographer. The improvements in the contents with respect to the two previous websites are:
- They are more extensive and informative , with definition of the service, the different prices and modalities and images of the results.
- They are better conceptualized to favor readability and improve the user experience, and thus favor the request for service information. This is done through price tables, an attractive image gallery, featured images, lists, etc.
- The proportion and distribution of the different visual elements, the white spaces and the text is harmonious and is perfectly visible on all mobile devices.
Thanks to good web content: the user has all the information necessary to decide whether or not to hire this service, wasting the least time both parties in explanations that are already detailed the page. If the price and conditions seem reasonable and you like the work of the photographer, the user will only have to call or send a contact form and make an appointment.
Practical case # 4 : Mexican products web
A food product distribution website should convey why your products are the best and your strengths as a company. That is why it is important to build a story around your products to make them more attractive, with all the elements you have in stock.
In the previous image we can see two screenshots of the page at the top that correspond to two different websites of distributors of Mexican products. Both focus especially on their online store, although they also make a brief presentation of their products with an explanatory text. However, the contents of these two websites show the following drawbacks.
- The texts are too short and they do not satisfy a demand for exhaustive information about each product,
nor do they build a story around that product that they must distribute. - The conceptualization can be improved , since it only incorporates texts and images, without elements that enhance readability.
At the bottom of the image we see two screenshots of the same page from another website of a distributor of Mexican products. The improvements in the contents with respect to the two previous websites are:
- They are more extensive and informative , with the construction of a story around the product principal. This story includes its definition, its history, its uses, its strengths, etc.
- They are better conceptualized to favor readability and improve the user experience, with an abundance of images , with illustrations, colored backgrounds, etc.
Thanks to good web content: the user knows the benefits of consuming corn tortillas in the diet, especially if he is vegan or celiac, and has an online store at his disposal to buy it. Also, if the user is a Mexican restaurant or a food chain, know the sales arguments to offer this product.
How to make your website have good content
The best way to ensure that our page has the best web content is to leave it in the hands of professionals since, as we have seen, the profitability of our business depends largely on it. And that must be taken into account from the moment in which we look for a company to develop our website .
Web design companies that know that a page today is a fundamental element of a business will pay as much attention to content as to design. That’s why they will ask you if you need to budget for texts and images and in any case it will tell you that if you contribute them, it will adapt them to the online strategy pursued with the web. If they tell you that they cannot start the design without first having the contents, it is a good sign, because it will show that they give them the crucial importance they have and adapt the design to what we want to tell on our website.
If, on the contrary, we contact someone who simply tells us «you pass me the content that I make for you on the web», they suspect that this someone will subordinate the content to the design instead of doing it the other way around, and that therefore It matters very little to him if the web helps you to generate new clients or not.
We will know if we put our website in the right hands if the web development company has journalists on staff experts in content marketing, and if possible with experience in the media, translators and experts in positioning. This way we will know that does not understand a website as a simple piece of exhibition design , but as a communication tool to reach our potential customers.
If you have the time and talent to generate web content, in this post we explain some keys to writing periodic blog posts, most of which are also used for writing web content , since they are governed by the same criteria.