Do the words “website content” cause your stress levels to rise? You know that creating compelling content for your digital marketing is important but you are not sure where to start. If you are a business owner or non-profit leader you have a lot on your plate already and thinking about creating content for your website is easy to shove down the to-do list because you have more pressing matters to take care of.

Have you considered the fact that many customers very first impression of you will be through website content?

That’s far too important to keep ignoring and should lead you to the question, “How do I create great website content?”

With time is limited it’s even more important to get it right. You don’t want to waste time creating content that doesn’t attract or connect with the people you want to reach. We put together a list of 10 Keys To Creating Astonishing Website Content designed to help you create content that connects with people and keeps them engaged with your message and brand.

10 Keys To Creating Astonishing Website Content That Attracts Clients

1. Stop Trying To Be The Hero

Great communication begins with an understanding of WHO the communication is for. Spoiler Alert: It’s not you. You communicate to engage, help and persuade others, not just to hear the sound of your own voice or read your own words. This is the biggest mistake that people make when creating content. They make the content all about them and not the people they are trying to talk to. The more you forget about yourself and obsess over your customer the more you will be heard. What are their problems, fears, hopes, and dream? Speak to those things in your message and you will be heard. Constantly remind everyone how awesome you are and how your company was started by your grandfather 100 years ago and prepare to be tuned out.

2. Be Clear

You may have heard the phrase before, “Content is King” but the real truth is that “Clarity Is King”. The Internet is flooded with content and noise. In a cluttered market of ideas, the value of clarity is always going up.
Clarity is what cuts through the noise. Clarity is what causes people to connect with your words. Be clear and specific. What problem are you trying to solve? Who are you trying to help? Who is your product or service for? Who is it NOT for? Ask yourself questions to help define who you are talking to and what problem you are trying to solve for them. Concrete and specific words and descriptions stick in peoples heads better.

If you forget all the other keys but remember to be clear, you will have put yourself at a great advantage.

3. Call People To Action

People want to be led somewhere. Take them on a journey that calls them to action. Don’t just think about what you want people to know. Put thought into what you want to challenge them to do. This doesn’t always have to be guiding them to A Buy Now button or urging them to call your phone number. It may be guiding them to take another step to learn more, downloading a helpful resource or signing up to a newsletter. Think of your communication and marketing as what it is a conversation with an actual person. Kind of like if you were on a date. Don’t ask your clients to marry you on the first date.

4. Define the Problem

Talking about problems sounds negative. It can be tempting to avoid talking about problems and constantly talk about solutions, features, and benefits. If you don’t define the problem in your content, people will tune it out. They think that it must not apply to them because they don’t understand what problem your product or service is trying to solve. When you describe someone’s problem in detail though they engage and connect with your message because they know it’s for them.

5. Address Internal and External Issues

Another common mistake people make when creating content is only focusing on talking about external problems. Most likely your company is heavily focused on solving external problems for your clients. If you are roofer you fix leaking roofs. If you are a dentist you help hurting teeth etc. It’s easy to talk about external problems because they are to put it bluntly, obvious. But external problems are only part of the picture. That client with the leaking roof has internal problems as well. Perhaps they are nervous and uncertain about dealing with an insurance claim because they have never done it before. They feel insecure. Perhaps the dental client is self-conscious about their teeth and worried they will be judged for “not flossing enough”. These are the internal problems that are connected with your client’s external problem. Why is it important to think about internal problems? Because most customer decisions are based off of how they feel about their internal problems not external ones. It’s also the best opportunity you have to separate yourself from your competitors. They are calling a roofer because they have a leaking roof but they are going to hire the company that speaks best to their internal problem.

6. Think From Your Customers Perspective

Do you see a trend here? Thinking from your customers perspective is the giant key that unlocks powerful content and communication. Customers don’t choose the company that talks the most, they choose the company that understands them the most. Thinking from the customers perspective is an easy thing to say and it seems like an obvious thing to do but it’s not easy.
Why is it difficult? If you are a business owner or non-profit leader you typically have a lot of things going on. You are thinking about fires you have to put out with your team, next weeks payroll and perhaps those few clients that seem to really frustrate you. It can be hard to step out of your world and see your company through your clients or potential clients eyes. Try asking some of your better clients questions about how they see your company or organization and why they chose to use your product or service. Try to think about what the hopes, fears, and dreams might be of the typical person you serve. Try to see the world from their eyes, it might change everything for how you communicate.

7. Pay Attention to Details

Every piece of communication in your business or organization sends a message. From a blog post, social media image or even your company voice mail. Details matter. If you want people to assume that your customer service and work is high quality and meticulous, don’t sell yourself short by delivering low-quality communication. Use spell checker and grammar tools to help catch errors that may give off a bad impression. You don’t have to be perfect but it is important to put just as much effort into your communication as you do the work itself.

8. Be Authentic

Don’t try to present yourself or your organization as something you are not. Don’t use buzzwords and overdone phrases. If you or your company is a little quirky and has a sense of humor, embrace it. Don’t feel like you have to present a sterile corporate version of yourself because that is what everyone else is doing. At the same time, if you value being professional and proper don’t try to be quirky and funny because you think that’s what other people want. When you find your own unique voice you may be surprised how many people are eager to hear it.

9. Show What’s At Stake

What is the cost of not hiring your company? What might happen if the problem is ignored? You don’t have to become a fearmonger with your messaging but it is important that you present to people what’s at stake. You want to present to people a clear vision of success and let them know that you can help guide them to that future but the other side of that is showing them a clear vision of what failure looks like.

10. Be Consistent

Have you been guilty of the inspiration trap? You listen to a podcast about social media and for 2 weeks you are posting twice a day and then nothing for months?
Being inspired is great but being consistent is what will cause your content to engage and connect with people.
Be consistent with the way you present yourself and your company. Be consistent with the frequency at which you post on social media and your website.

Set a goal for how often you want to talk to your customers over various mediums, then cut that goal in half and deliver on it!

Summary

Creating astonishing website content that attracts clients really boils down to great communication.
Great communication is an art form that takes practice. This list is far from comprehensive. There is always something new to learn and apply to your communication skills. We hope that this list has given you something that you can apply to your business or non-profit to help create great content that engages people with your cause.

It’s time for key number 3. How will you take action to make your communication better? In a cluttered and noisy environment, you need clarity to cut through the noise and distinguish yourself from competitors.

What will you create? What message will you speak? What problem will you solve?

If you want to learn more about marketing or experience what it’s like to have a team of people working with you to create amazing content that attracts customers get in touch with us to learn more and make sure that your brand’s message is heard through the noise.

The post 10 Keys To Creating Astonishing Website Content That Attracts Clients first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

They may have claimed that they can scan your site and provide you with information that only experts can provide. They also may have claimed your website not being up-to-date, missing information, or lacking speed. These emails or calls may be full of promises about your business being able to leverage this success overnight and gain a large quota of sales quickly!

Tempting.

We know.

These scare tactics can convince anyone to jump in on the investment, but before you hand over any private or financial information we wanted to provide you with some valuable tips to help you recognize spam, as well as reasons as to why you should stick to the experts.

How to recognize spam:

• Unsolicited emails and/or comments left on your website from random companies or contacts that you have never had contact with before. These are often full of exaggerated promises that seem too good to be true – because they are.
• Consider the email address. For example, are they sending you an email from an unprofessional email address or a free service such as @gmail.com or @hotmail.com?
• Research their company and consider the professionalism or the lack there of, their website, social media accounts, and email addresses provided.
• Requesting private information too soon. For example, are they requesting your private or banking information simply after your first interaction? If they seem pushy at all – RUN.

Why you want to use SEO experts instead:

• You will be better off because the experts are not out to trick you, but actually want to see your company succeed. Our success is directly correlated with your company’s success!
• You will save money by not trying to find a quick fix that doesn’t work and results in you needing to start ALL over again. Invest your money the right way the first time and avoid detours along the way to your SEO success.
• Your company will grow when you avoid the shortcuts.

Bottom line, trust your SEO success with the experts. SEO isn’t an overnight fix. It’s about promoting your site and overtime beating your competitors in the Google race.

Remember: slow and steady wins the race.

The post SEO Spam: How to Recognize and Avoid It first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

Never Having to Say “I’m Sorry, We’re Closed”

It’s February, the month of love! In this season, I am reminded of a strange old saying: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Well, I’m not sure how I feel about that one. However, here’s one I know is true and I’m sure you’ll agree; in business, love means never having to say “I’m Sorry, We’re Closed!”

Because business now takes place not only face-to-face but also in the digital world, you never have to close! You can always have access to your customers and prospects. More importantly, they can always have access to you! 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, you can be always open!

So with all this access, you’d think success in business would be easy, right? Not so. Although the internet is an incredibly rich marketplace, its sheer size makes it a challenging one. If you really want to be “always open,” it’s not enough just to have a website. You have to have the right website and the tools to go along with it.

Businesses That Never Close

To make your digital presence effective, to actually “never close,” here are some things you must have.

1. A Great Website

Your Personality
Design your website around who you are and who your prospects and customers are. That’s the personality of your business. Get this right, and you’ll naturally stand out in the marketplace.

Your Functionality
Create a site that does what you need it to do. Make it interactive. Make it sell. Make it easy for your target audience.

Free website consultation
Even if you have to hang a sign in the window occasionally, your business can always be open if you have a great website! Just because you’re not at work doesn’t mean that your website isn’t at work for you. Call us for a free consultation on what a new site can do for your business!

2. Great SEO

Effective SEO
Search engines can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Effective SEO keeps you at the top of the list as much as possible. This may be the most valuable service we offer.

Dynamic SEO
Just saying you have SEO may not be enough. Engines constantly change and update their rules, so your SEO has to be able to keep up. Make sure your SEO is dynamic, that it is performed regularly and stays up-to-date!

Get 3 Months SEO—FREE!
Once you have a great site, you need to make sure it gets seen! This month, for qualifying new website sales, you get three months of SEO (or 3 months of Facebook posting) FREE! Call us today!

3. A Great Social Media Strategy

Engaging
Make sure you’re posting content that gets people responding to you or better yet, talking to their friends about you!

Targeted
Design your posts around who you want to talk to, not just what you want to sell. Target your audience!

Consistent
It’s important to post often enough to keep people thinking and talking about you and your products and services. Posting that is too frequent or sporadic tends to be much less effective.

Get 3 Months Facebook Posting—FREE!
Because over 70% of the population is on Facebook, that means 70% of your potential clients are there too- that’s why you need a strong presence on Facebook. Get 3 months of Facebook posting (or 3 months free SEO) FREE with any qualifying website purchase during February.

At McWilliams media, we specializing in helping businesses “never close” by creating great websites, performing great SEO, and providing great social media strategies. Call us today and take advantage of these special FREE offers this February!

The post Never Having to Say “I’m Sorry, We’re Closed” first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

21st-century Americans are just as particular about media as coffee…maybe more! We know that a great cup of coffee is the result of excellence in several processes at several stages. In the same way, there are several important processes in a media strategy for your business, and you need to get all the steps right in order to get results!

So here are 5 ways your media strategy is like a great cup of coffee.

1. The Beans.

This may sound silly, but the first thing you need to do is to find your product. Many businesses fail because they try to do too much. Make sure you have a clear direction for your win. Just like a coffee grower has to decide what kind of beans will grow best on his land, you have to decide what you really do best and focus on that.

2. The Harvest.

Once you know the focus of your business, you need to refine your message. When he harvests his crop, a good grower selects only the best beans to go to the roasters. You need to make sure you say only what you want to say. Take time to know yourself as a business so that your message can clearly communicate the value you bring to your customers.

3. The Roast.

Once you know what your message needs to be, you have to give it the right personality, just like a roast gives coffee its unique flavor. Your media should have a flavor that is true to who you are and attractive to your target audience. We call this finding your “voice and tone,” and it’s one of the most powerful steps in creating effective media messages for your business.

4. The Grind.

This is the strategy itself. Where and how often do you need to communicate with your target audience? Does your business require a few big messages a month or hundreds of little ones, or is it a combination of the two? You need experts in media to help you navigate the landscape of web design, social media, video, blogging, and any other outlet you want to use.

5. The Pour, or…

There are lots of ways to serve coffee, and people can be very picky about how they get it. And let’s face it, our audiences have become a lot pickier about the messages they receive from businesses, and how they receive them. Send the wrong message, or the send right message in the wrong way, and you can get lost in the noise or lose them altogether.

At McWilliams Media, we are experts in helping you find your message and deliver that message to the right people at the right time. From custom websites to graphic design to video and digital marketing, we can help you reach your target audience and keep them engaged to grow your business!

Photo by Nolan Issac on Unsplash

The post 5 Ways Your Media Strategy is Like A Great Cup of Coffee first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

A better question would be: why should you allow McWilliams Media to setup my new website on the WordPress Platform?  So here are 5 reasons.

1) WordPress makes it easy.

Take as much control as you want.  Do you want to be hands on or would you rather be hands off and allow our team to input content.  The WordPress platform allows you to take control. You can add content, media and just about anything you want to your site.  Don’t worry we’re always available when you have questions.

2) Google Loves WordPress

At McWilliams Media, we focus on getting new customers for our clients via Search Engine Optimization. Over the years I’ve used many valuable SEO plugins such as the All-In-One SEO Pack and Google XML Sitemaps. Google is always looking for relevant content and WordPress helps make your content visible to search engines.

3) WordPress Plugins

WordPress allows you to add complex business features to your website without having to hire a coder. Need some additional functionality on your website?  We’ll find a plugin to meet your needs.

4) WordPress is Mobile Ready

If you assume your customers are visiting your website from a full-sized computer, think again. Mobile website usage is exploding. If your website doesn’t look great and work well on a smartphone or tablet your customers will skip your site and go somewhere else. Your dashboard is also designed to function on your smart phone so you can make updates on the go.

5) WordPress has been Around a While

WordPress is over 10 years old! During the past decade WordPress has been refined, tested, and enhanced. In the process it has evolved into a world-class web publishing system.

Until next time,
Matt McWilliams
McWilliams Media Inc.
Broken Arrow, OK

The post Why Should I Use WordPress? Our Top 5 Reasons first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.