Creating content for the web can be a challenging task, whether you are just creating a brand new website or if you’re trying to keep an existing site stocked with new content. Visitors and search engines like to see fresh content, but what should you talk about? Good question! We have compiled a couple of documents (borrowed from several different sources) as a starting point for some of our clients who are challenged with content creation, and we think that perhaps these might help anyone who is in the same situation.
Coming up with web content ideas for a brand new site
When you’re a business owner, you may not always know what to say about your business. Sometimes we web developers really have to tease it out of a client over the course of several interviews and a handful of email exchanges. 😉 However, if you are working on things yourself, you may not know what questions to ask yourself to try and get a good idea of what kind of content to put on your site.
Clearly you want your pertinent business information to be on the site, phone number, address, business name, and that kind of thing, but sometimes people even forget to clearly explain what they do. For instance, your business name might be “Groovy Wonderworks” and you’ve already got a really cool tie dye poster and business cards that you want your website design to match… but what on earth does your business actually do? Don’t forget to include that information right up front on your website too! “Groovy Wonderworks – Hand-Made Tie Dye Clothing” makes a lot more sense. Pairing your business name with what you actually do (and what your customers might be searching for) is an excellent idea.
When you’re coming up with content right away, think about what your clients want to know… what they might be searching for to find you? What might they be searching for to find your competitors? What problems they may be trying to solve? What do they want to know about you and you about them?
You may also think about it from a softer perspective… what is it that you want your customers to know about your business? How would you like them to feel about your business and about working with you?
This is also a great time to explore what your competitors are doing and saying on their websites. What do you like and what don’t you like? Would you do anything different? What would you do the same?
Here is a Website Basics Questionnaire that you can use to answer some specific questions. Even if you’re not working with us as a client, you can use these questions to come up with some ideas of the kind of content you may want to write about… not that you would want to put the answers on your site, but you can use them as a starting point to come up with content, just like we do.
Coming up with web content ideas to expand on an existing site or for your social media
When thinking about doing “ancillary” content, or content for something like a blog, informational or resource pages, or even social media, this content is a little different in nature than trying to get your head around the message of your site in general.
With this kind of content, you can promote some specifics, like particular products or services that you offer, events or specials that you may be planning, tell some stories, create some help documents (like the one you’re reading right now!), feature your community partners, explain your philosophy… so many things.
Here is a Content Creation Questionnaire that you can use to answer some additional questions that can make good starting points for blogs or other ancillary content. Again, even if you’re not working with us as a client, you can use these questions to come up with some ideas.
Think creatively — and that doesn’t always have to start with words
Sometimes we have people that start every blog post with a photograph. This doesn’t mean that they necessarily put the photo at the top of each page or post, just that they use the photo as a starting point. Very often that photo does end up in the content, but it doesn’t have to. It’s just a good place to start if photos are an inspiration for you. Maybe for you, it’s something that you read online, or something that you learned from a friend… just use whatever sparks your curiosity and makes you think.
Get help if you can’t come up with something
Websites are not set-and-forget things, so if you’re still struggling to find the inspiration or time to create content, you may want to try a writing or content creation service. While Roost Web Strategies is not a writing shop, we can create web content if you give us some good seed ideas. We can interview you and get specs, and provide content as a one-off or ongoing service for your site. If you’re looking for other kinds of content besides writing (perhaps video, or podcasts) we can connect you with some great resources and services among our trusted network. Just reach out!
