"Words" to the wise...

In the past year, a lot of emphasis on web sites has been on the use of technology to keep visitors glued to sites. Flash, pop-ups, pop-downs, bandwidth-draining graphic interfaces have all done little to compel visitors to act on a site's value proposition. But they have made careers for techno-geeks who have lots of programming talent but no communication skills.

Want a site that sizzles and meets your marketing objectives? We'll tell you the secret below (hint: it's five letters and you've just read 89 of them...)

WORDS!

If you've surfed the web long enough, you'll start to notice that most sites simply throw some words on the page and string them into sentences and paragraphs. No thought is given to how these copy blocks convey the key messages you're trying to get across or the consequences poorly written copy can have on a company's reputation.

The sad truth is that most site design companies don't have trained writers on staff. Sure, they pay lip service to the importance of content. But when push comes to shove, they simply cut and paste content from existing printed materials that doesn't necessarily translate well to the web.

The web is a unique medium. For the most part it can only persuade, educate, inform or sell through the use of words. Bandwidth doesn't support a lot of visuals and streamed video or audio is still a rarity. And yet content remains an afterthought even though it is the primary method of communicating.

Early on, we recognized that "content is king" on the Internet. That's why we offer award-winning copywriting services in every one of our design packages. Content is so important to us that we provide copywriting services for no additional charge because we don’t want it to become a line item in the budget.

The sad truth is that technology, no matter how advanced it is, can’t create great content automatically. It still takes the experienced hand of a trained writer. Without clarity of thought, a capacity for communication and a way with style, content is nothing.

Never forget that a web site ultimately must serve the needs of the target audience, not the organization. Forget the reader and you can forget success. This holds true whether you're creating a web site, Intranet, Extranet or e-zine.

Words are tools. Learn how to master them. Technology won't help. Think, read, and write. A lot. And if you don't have the time or desire to do it yourself, let someone who is trained in the craft do it for you. It will add tremendous value to your site, enhance your reputation and improve your bottom line.

If you'd like us to do a cursory inventory of the state of your content, give us a call at (877) 895-2848, ext. 1 and we'll be happy to provide you with some initial recommendations.