Showcasing New Website Content with a Purpose
Ray Access — an online content development firm based in Asheville, NC, but with an international footprint — has launched an updated, mobile-friendly website. This marks the second time in its short history that Ray Access has updated its site. This time, however, there’s a purpose behind the redesign beyond making use of the latest technology.
While the design and implementation are new, the real difference in the site is its updated content. It’s meant to showcase how new website content can make a difference in visitor retention and engagement. For the first time, Ray Access has created a site similar to the ones it produces for its clients: full of useful information and light on promotional material.
A New Website? Yawn
It’s common for businesses to update their websites from time to time. Nothing says “I don’t care” like a website that looks as if it were cobbled together from spare code back in the mid-1990s. An updated site has become a business necessity, so your business will be taken seriously. The recommended period for a relaunch is about every five years because that’s about how long it takes for technology to change significantly.
But new sites need more than a pretty design and an attractive combination of colors. It needs more than fancy graphics and flashy photography. Websites have a business purpose: to attract and retain customers. Does your website do that? If not, consider an update, whether or not the design seems out-of-date.
Why New Website Content Matters
In the past, the Ray Access site provided lots of information about our services and our value proposition — i.e., why a business should hire us instead of our competition. It’s a common approach for many businesses online. After all, isn’t that the point of a website?
No, as we’re all learning. The internet is evolving with how people use it. We could write about the evolution of keyword use, but that’s boring. Instead, think about how people, regular people, use the internet. They search for information, often asking full-sentence questions into their phone. If they find your website, what value can you give them?
That’s the value of good content. The best design in the world can’t hold a visitor for long. (No offense to designers; see above for our love of modern designs.) Visitors reach your website because they want something. They may be shopping for what you provide, or they may be researching something about your industry. Either way, your site has to impart useful information without giving away the farm.
How a New Website Earns Customers
As with the new Ray Access website, it’s the new website content that makes or breaks a site. No matter what your business, no matter what your industry, seek to add value to your community and the world at large. Provide free, useful information. If it’s good enough, you’ll gain an audience. Deliver that information in a clear, easy-to-comprehend format, and you’ll gain at least one fan: Ray Access.
The internet is an inconsistent place. Search engines help, but sometimes, the site you end up on is a garbled mess. If all you want to do is find the answer to a question, you’ll move on quickly to the next website on the search engine results page.
Keep visitors on your site longer. Statistics show that the longer a visitor is on your site, the more likely he is to becoming a customer. So if your new website content is clear, to-the-point and accurate, you stand a better-than-average chance of gaining a new customer.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.