To be found on the Internet is an obsession for some and a simple wish for others. Whether at which end you are or at a certain point between them, whoever has a website, expects to some degree that it will bring new customers.
For this to happen, one of the most commented formulas is Content Marketing , which properly integrated with SEO techniques , can make all the difference between being just one among millions or gaining prominence in the first occurrences of organic results.
However, micro and small companies find themselves at an impasse, since generally those responsible for the respective sites, do not see how to apply the innumerable tips that the many sites that deal with the topic, present.
But it ends here. From now on, you will no longer have reasons for not having a truly attractive institutional website for your potential audience and search engines.
The institutional website paradigm
If you are not sure what a paradigm is, it is briefly a model that determines what something should be like.
That said, it is understandable and expected that when people create content for their sites, they will mirror what established competitors do.
It is the mental model – conscious or unconscious – that establishes that “if my competitors do it, it must work”, or “if everyone does it, why am I going to be the only one not to do it?”, or “I will do it like everyone else does it”, because I never did”.
This type of behavior – being governed by paradigms – is common to the vast majority of people and in fact it is not easy to run away from something like this, since it is a belief that is ingrained in the minds of the majority for a long time.
The first step towards establishing effective Content Marketing practices is to break with these paradigms.
Especially when evaluating sites of micro and small companies, which invariably do not have the resources to invest in a creative agency or even a freelance professional or experienced web designer , who will advise them as to what should be done.
The most common mistakes on micro and small business websites
Imagine a consumer who has to buy a shirt and at the end of the choice process, he has to decide between three white shirts, made of cotton, of very similar models, from brands / manufacturers he does not know.
In other words, in the hypothetical scenario described, however so common, the consumer has 3 almost identical products that, due to the absence of differentiation, end up making him decide for the cheapest, since of course the price is also not the same.
This type of situation is common to all segments of commercial activity, leading to a price war, when potential customers do not see any apparent benefits in the products or services they consume.
And if a visitor arrives at your website or the competition and all they see are very similar sites in relation to the content they display, they will find themselves in the same situation as the T-shirts. Guess what will make you choose?
More than that, for search engines, the situation will be no different.
Remember that the role of Content Marketing is to produce content, but above all it meets what visitors are looking for, as well as search engines, which among 1000 similar sites, will index 1000 content in almost the same way.
In another exercise of imagination, suppose you look for an accounting firm to advise your firm, since every formally constituted firm needs this service. When searching on Google, you come across an extensive list of options and when you click on several of them, you find:
From what we’ve seen so far, the first mistake is to do exactly the same – or very close – to what the competition does in terms of content;
Another big problem is not saying anything that really matters. Things like “experienced professionals”, “trained”, “differentiated service”, “committed to the success of your company”, “tradition”, “responsibility”, “motivated”, are common on the majority websites. All of this is naturally important, but it is assumed to be basic and common to all. Moreover, hardly anyone search Google “Accounting committed to the success of my company”;
Unless the company operates throughout the national territory, it is common to have to look for its location to find out if its products / services are available in the visitor’s location;
Not containing answers to frequently asked questions that arise in a first contact, is another recurring error. When you answer the usual problems and doubts of possible customers on the website, you get closer to what an internet user usually searches for and which can increase the chances of taking you to your website;
In the case of our example (accounting sector), it is common to use terminology in the area, which for laypeople may mean absolutely nothing. When it is necessary to use technical terms, it is advisable to provide a brief explanation about it, after all, someone who is opening his company, necessarily knows the difference between “real profit” and “presumed profit” and its implications ?;
Contrary to the topic above, there are those that are very vague and do not contain the terms that are likely to contain more research, such as “labor legislation”, “tax debt”, “company opening”, etc. Remember to include what is missing, explain;
In a segment like accounting, it is natural that the potential customer has many doubts and even a very complete website, does not clarify all of them. In these and other cases, have a variety of service channels, as well as the times when each is available. It is not uncommon to have to search for a contact phone or a form to fill in, which ends up “expelling” the visitor;
8 Tips for planning content for micro and small business websites
It is obvious that there are exceptions and some sites take into account concerns that make them good examples of how to apply Content Marketing to inform and rank well on Google. But unfortunately, in many areas this is not the rule.
Let’s go to the main points that most micro and small business sites don’t make:
1. Think like the customer
Every time the phone rings, what questions do people on the other end ask you? What are your concerns? Does your website answer all of this?
Like you are doing getting your ecommerce website designed from a best Ecommerce website development company then that company will focus on your primary needs. Try not to think like the professional in your field, but how the customer sees you and what they expect to hear from you and your company.
2. Take care of the language
Not only of formalism, protocols and grammatical correction, but above all of the understanding and communication that it is capable of producing and for that, it must be clear to even the most lay people.
3. Say what matters
As we saw in the most common mistakes, it is usual to present the company and its products and services, which may seem correct, with adjectives that they value, but that do not matter to the customer.
Say what he wants to hear – in this case, read – and that is usually what he puts in the search terms in the Google search field.
4. Go beyond the basics
There is a belief that institutional sites are basic and have a formal and rigid structure (home, who we are, our services, contact, etc.).
You can’t produce content that sells the company’s image well enough and consequently produce something that adds value and differentiation, with a website with a structure like this.
5. Focus
There is no point in bringing visitors from everywhere if your activity is regional or if there are sectors of commercial activity that you do not have the expertise to serve.
Visitors that you are unable to serve for any reason will leave the site quickly, return to the search results and increase your bounce rate. So target your content.
6. Value your customer’s time
We are talking about the Internet and if someone has chosen to reach you through the site, they want convenience, instead of picking up a phone to solve what your site is unable to do for them.
Think about what tools or resources help in this regard, as well as what content formats favor the consumption of information.
7. Break paradigms
More than that, don’t be different just to not do what everyone else does. Be different to be useful and to give your visitors reasons to come back and consume the content that matters and that no one offers like you.
8. Make a good first impression
This has to do with the aesthetics of the site, but above all, with saying clearly and directly what visitors expect. Don’t beat around the bush and don’t try to retain visitors with features like “sign up for more information”.
This in many cases is annoying and takes the Internet user to those who can be more direct and serve in an agile and transparent way.
Conclusion
Applying the concepts of Content Marketing to bring visitors and properly position the website of micro and small companies in search engines, is more than simply producing thousands of words that will be part of your website. The form, the purpose, the utility, among other concerns, are fundamental for the content to fulfill the role for which it was created.