Since the dawn of the Information Age, it seems that just about everyone has had their personal slice of the internet pie. With such an abundance of online content, it can start to feel like you’re trudging through an endless swamp of the bad before you get to the good stuff. But what exactly are the defining characteristics that separate the bad from the truly great?

The road to great content begins by asking yourself three essential questions. After you have asked and answered these questions, it will be time to optimize your content – something we at Blueprint Digital specialize in. But before you can get to optimization, you need to have content to optimize. Here’s how you can create and deliver great content that will drive traffic straight to your online front-door.

The Importance of Asking Questions

Generating traffic for your blog or website doesn’t happen overnight; the same can be said of creating great content. Search engine optimization, or SEO, will steer traffic your way, but great content is what will keep them there. The content that you create is critical to your success.

According to author Ann Handley, “Good content is not storytelling. It’s telling your story well.” Put simply, all content tells a story – but good content conveys the story in a way that keeps your visitors interested.

So what are the questions you need to ask that will keep your visitors coming back for more?

Who is My Audience?

Before you even put pen to paper, you need to decipher exactly who your target audience is.

The question of audience is the guide for everything else you set out to do. If your audience and your content don’t align, you won’t see the results you want.

For example, if you sell homemade goods online, and your website features a slick, minimalist design but lacks approachability and warmth, you are far less likely to attract and keep customers. Buying a handmade product is generally associated with a sense of hospitality and friendliness; if your content feels too business-professional and distant, your target market won’t line up with what you’re trying to sell.

Similarly, let’s say you own a small insurance company. If the language or tone of your webpage doesn’t inspire a sense of trust and confidence that you can deliver on what you promise, you won’t generate the traffic you need to sustain your business.

Attracting and retaining your clientele is all about who your audience is, and what language, style and tone you need to use in order to pique their interest, and keep them coming back for more.

To see how the Blueprint team can help you generate more traffic by creating great content for your business, contact us today!

By: Kimberly Stokes