How do you make sure the content on your Web site reflects what your company wants to convey to its customers?
A couple of years ago the theory was that if you wanted a good Web site it had to be flashy. Dense graphics and loads of gimmicks were the trend and Web developers touted a big-is-better mentality. Today, however, most e-commerce companies know that if people are going to keep coming to a site, it has little to do with flash and a lot more to do with what is on offer: that is, interesting and relevant content. While it may sound like a basic concept, getting the right content can make or break a Web site.
In order to understand how to manage it, it's important to first understand what content really is. In the broadest possible sense, it is anything found on a Web site and can range from interactive games to product information.
Brad Argent heads up integrated communications company Spike's strategy division, Spike Agency and has had experience managing content. He describes three types of Web site content: global, local, and intimate.
Global content is generic and includes news, weather, and banner advertising. And, while it may attract visitors to a site, it won't keep them. Local content is more relevant to the community it represents and is created with a specific audience in mind. This type of content is ultimately what the customer has come to your site to find. Then there is intimate content, which is provided by a Web site's audience and can range from survey results to message boards. Intimate content encourages interactivity and creates a virtual community: it makes people want to come back.
Each content category adds value to a site, says Argent, but should not be weighed equally.
"As a general rule, I'd say global content should represent no more than 10 percent, local content should be 60 percent, and intimate content should be 30 percent."
