Top 5 Reasons the "C Word" Should Be Your Priority

"Content is king" is a phrase readily used within the online community; however we, at amor Web Design, consider that, "Quality Content is king." Study after study has demonstrated that when people use search engines, they are essentially seeking one thing: information. They do not want to be assaulted by gaudy flashy sites. They are not looking for impressive arty sites. They want information that is pertinent to their search, a solution to their problem. To sum it up: the content should be of HIGH QUALITY and RELEVANT.

Quality content is interesting; informative; useful to its specific audience and should appeal directly to your niche market. It should provide the visitor with something they may take away and utilise, along with encouraging them to return to your site in the future. The concept of relevance as far as content is concerned is relative. What is relevant to one person may not necessarily be relevant to another.

Websites that consistently attain high rankings in the search engine share a common denominator: their content is of good quality; ergo they offer something of value to their visitors and are considered a resource for their industry.

In order to succeed online there are many reasons why you should pay particular attention to your website content:

1. Links

It is a given that if your website provides good quality content it is going to attract links. Although it should be remembered that links alone do not guarantee success; site promotion will also be needed. However, once people see your content, they will link to it if it is good. There are many sites dedicated solely to linking to what they consider to be good content. Google News is a good example. Its basis is to link to sites it considers to offer valuable content. With good content, there is no reason why a site such as Google News (or others depending on your niche) can't be linking to your content.

When your content generates more links, it is likely to achieve greater visibility. Whether that be from search engines, blogs, or a site like Google News, more portals are created for entering your own site. Generally speaking people don't link to bad content unless they either have a malicious reason for doing so or have maybe been misled about what they are linking to.

2. Sharing

Have you considered social networks? People love to share content via sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter etc. RSS feeds are also a good idea. This is just one more route for people to get to your content and, should they stay subscribed to your feeds, they will essentially keep your brand fresh in readers' minds. Added to this is the fact that feed readers frequently offer their own sharing features thus providing more opportunities for more users to see your content.

It is all very well sharing, but remember, if your content is poor nobody will want share it.

3. Reputation

Reputation management is extremely important, not just your personal reputation, but also that of your business. Poor content that attracts negative comments and feedback damages your reputation, sometimes irrevocably, whereas creating good content naturally establishes credibility. When someone views your content and learns something from it, or merely likes what they see, they will develop some amount of trust toward your business as a credible source for information within your industry sector.

4. Audience

It stands to reason that the more linking and sharing of your content, the more your audience is likely to grow. Additionally, when you develop a positive reputation online, this, in itself, tends to create the snowball effect. People mention your name and others may well check out your content based on name recognition alone. People will hear your business frequently referenced and will want to know why. If your content is good they will keep reading it and are likely to share it with others.

5. Revenue

The bottom line is that all businesses want to make money, be that through online sales or enquiries generated for services provided.

With an established audience coupled with a good reputation, the amount of revenue your business brings in is likely to increase.  Customers like to buy goods and services, particularly online, from a business with a good, solid reputation. Amazon is a good example. Many consumers use this site because of its reputation, because the content is good, and because it allows people to share their opinions on the products it sells. From a non-retail perspective, Wikipedia is regarded a trusted resource for many Internet users. The quality of the information is high, links are in abundance and sharing is positively encouraged.

All these points are common sense; however it is astonishing to see many website owners who seem to think that as long as they have a website the rest will take care of itself. Sadly many of these people are damaging their reputation by not paying attention to the quality of their website.

It pays to remember that content can make or break a website. This is why, if you are trying to establish a reputable online presence, it must be a priority.