website content is your critical foundation

When people get to your site, they should find compelling information they came looking for initially . . . content they want, packaged with a look and style and feel that will encourage them to stay (and come back!)

Give them (yes, I said give them) what they came to your place of business hoping to find . . . credible, helpful, informative and comfortably delivered information; and more of it and better than they expected.

How you write and construct your website is the foundation upon which you will build later; but it will not matter what you build later if the foundation is not put together soundly.

Why does good content matter so much? First, it matters critically to search engines. They are involved and complicated, but they rely on key words to determine what your website is about, it's credibility and value.

A person looking for something on the internet via search engines will give them a few words (perhaps even just one); and the search engine will then take these words and look for and find sites it "thinks" will satisfy this person's needs.

Your words are also critical in another very special way. Once a search engine helps a person get to your site, your words and content must be useful, enjoyable and comfortable to them so they will want to stay . . . and return.

Having said all this, how does great content get created? And how do you make your website content rich?

You can write about what you know . . . a hobby, a profession, a passion; or you can write about what you love.

Better yet, you can write from the strength of BOTH!

But, if you are like many of us, you may think you do not really know enough about anything to write about; or what you love nobody would want to read about . . .or . . . or . . .

Well, then, . . . and, here it is, folks . . . you must be willing to do what it takes to identify what you would like (love) to know a lot about, go find out about it (research), and generate the discipline and commitment to put your knowledge into organized words.

Wow! What a mouthful!

If you are already an expert at something you also love, writing about it is just a little easier than for many of us; but for most, it still takes goals, plans, discipline and commitment.

Sinple, right? . . . but not always so easy. (worth it though)

So . . . Goals, plans, action steps, timetables, discipline, commitment, and, oh, yes, . . . work!

You can find a wealth of information and ideas by searching the internet, books, magazines, ezines, experts, other sites, blogs.

Some how-to advice:

****be emotional, even opinionated, when appropriate

****don't be overly logical or sterile

****express yourself and your personality

****write for your audience and their wants and needs

****be professional

****use good grammar and spelling

****do not copy another person's work without permission

****use short sentences and paragraphs

****add, modify, and update often

****and, . . . love it, show it, and your readers will know it

....make your words sell ....home page ....goals