The mother of all website content
Cornerstone content has cropped up in a few conversations of late. If you’re not fluent in marketing speak, cornerstone content is a pretty lengthy piece of content that’s written, structured and designed to bring traffic to your website. It’s full of the keywords and search terms you want to be found for, requires in depth research, and can be a big investment of time and resources.
But what happens when someone lands on your cornerstone content? What do they do next?
In an ideal world they would...
A. See you as a credible information source and share your content on social media.
B. Be intrigued about your product/service and browse the rest of your site.
One of these actions is a result; achieving both is ideal.
Cornerstone content is brilliant for driving people to your website. But if the rest of your site isn’t interesting, readable, relevant or valuable your visitor will quickly give up and leave.
This led me to think about all the other juicy bits of content you can put on your website to entice people in and make them want to come back for more.
When people land on your website, there is some crucial content that will encourage them to spend time on there and could shape their decision to enquire or purchase. Consider them the mother, grandmother, stepmother, sister and aunty of good website content.
5 essential pieces of website content
Testimonials
At Comma Sense we call testimonials the gold dust of all marketing content. Testimonials or client reviews are real people talking about real-life positive experiences of your business.
Any potential customer with their wits about them will look at reviews and testimonials before contracting with a new supplier (I was doing this earlier today searching for a driveway landscaper!). If you don’t have any on your website, get them on there right now!
For more tips on testimonials check out How to get over the fear of asking for testimonials
Case studies or Portfolio gallery
By showcasing case studies you’re offering clients a glimpse into what it’s like working with you. When choosing case studies, try to achieve a good mix of services and sectors to showcase the breadth of your experience. If there’s a type of project or client you particularly enjoy working with, focus on this to attract more of the same type of client.
A portfolio or gallery of content is a good option for more visual products and services. I’ve worked with photographers, web designers and other creatives who do this exceptionally well. Depending on your site structure, you could combine striking portfolio images with mini case studies to explore projects in more depth and explain your approach. And don’t forget to tag your images with those all-important keywords!
More tips on how to write a case study
Resources
This is essentially free information you give away on your website, and could well be a piece of cornerstone content. Think downloadable content, usually in pdf format. If you already have plenty of content on your website you could easily create a download by combining these materials. If you’ve ever created an A-Z on social media or a series of blog posts on a theme, think about turning the series into a downloadable resource. Don’t fancy writing a lengthy document? How about producing a series of short videos instead?
You can use free resources to encourage people to sign up to your mailing list. Create a simple sign up form that links to your database and then give them something for free in return.
Short stories
Blogs are the ideal channel to tell short stories that resonate on an emotional level. Through sharing your personal or business experiences, thoughts and feelings, you can connect and find things in common with potential customers - connections that build relationships and could influence a future purchasing decision.
Think about creating relatable content to showcase your expertise, share knowledge and demonstrate credibility in your field. If you write about your experience of a subject a potential customer is searching for, it could pave the pathway to a sale. It’s a no-brainer!
Easy ways to get in touch
To generate enquiries through your website you need to make it easy for people to make contact. It’s good to have several options so the client can choose their preferred way of getting in touch.
Web form
Live chat
Direct email
Phone number
Subscribe to mailing list
Links to social feeds (include messaging apps like WhatsApp / FB Messenger if you have them)
I started drafting this post on a Tuesday - the same day I was browsing driveway landscapers - and I filled in a web form to request a call back. Today is Friday and I still haven’t received a response. Remember to check your feeds regularly and respond in a timely manner!
I’d also recommend you test your calls to action on a regular basis to check that links and forms work and the user experience is seamless. You’d be surprised how many people miss out on website enquiries because a form is linked to an old email address or links are broken.
If you need help creating any of the content mentioned in this post, I’d love to hear from you, please get in touch.