It is the content, not the visual effects that keep people returning to a website.

Consider your web content to be the same as display products in your shop front.  You would take considerable care to ensure that only the best is displayed and that any new products or best sellers are constantly updated in the window.  The same principle applies to your website.

Current content= Engaged visitors

No one likes to read a newspaper from 2005.  Content on our website must remain fresh, stimulating and current to your customers.  Keeping your web content current serves two purposes

1. Keeps visitor coming back to view the latest information and
2. Search engines such as Google rank your website based on how often it is updated.  A website that has not been updated since 2003 would drop in ranking and be even more difficult to locate out in on the Web.

Content Presentation

Reading from a computer screen tires the eyes. People read more slowly on the web than they read print material.  Ensuring that the font used to write the content is not too small.  To combat reader fatigue, make it easy for your Web users to get relevant information. Put the most important information at the top. Use clear and concise text. I encourage the use of bulleted lists and highlighted text (bold or color, also hyperlinked text) to make relevant information easier to scan.

Finally, check the spelling of the information presented on your website.  It is these simple errors that can affect a potential customer's perception of your business.

Credible content helps build trusting relationships

Credibility is a major factor in retaining reader interest on your site. To build a trust between your business and your potential customer, use objective language in your content, write meaningful headlines and subheads and avoid marketing jargon or exaggerated claims.

Traditional websites versus Content Management Systems (CMS)

Updating traditional websites requires a web developer and unless you have one on staff, this could become a costly affair.  For example business' who regularly need to update their stocklists.  A more affordable alternative to a traditional website design is a functional Content Management System.

A content management system (CMS) separates the web design from the web content.  The advantage of such a tool is that it gives control of the content back to the business.  The result is businesses can make changes to their site quickly and not be held hostage by a web developer.  Uploading updated information to a CMS does not require much technical know-how, in fact if you can to use Word and surf the Web, you pretty much have all the skills required.

Read more:

1. Understanding your customers
2. Ensure your website is easy to navigate and use
3. Content is King!
4. Google Adwords - changing the way business market their products
5. Convert a visitor into a purchaser using a "Call-to-Action"