Content, Content, Content - Getting Online - Part 3
Getting Started With Content
Without compelling content, customers will quickly wander away to another retailer who engages them with relevant and meaningful content.
Welcome to part 3 of the Getting Online series.
To date we have picked a website name, chose a website builder, now we have a new website staring back at us. What do we do now?
Firstly, you must consider your website an extension of your shopfront, take pride in the work, show the attention to detail you give to your physical location. It will come across to the visitors to your website. Without compelling content, customers will quickly wander away to another retailer who engages them with relevant and meaningful content.
I am by no means an expert on content and marketing, so I have asked for some words of wisdom from a real expert. Philip Darling is the Creative Director at The Counsel and runs darling.ie, his marketing and branding agency. Philip correctly focused me on two key areas; brand and storytelling. Here is what Philip had to say.
Brand
The most famous brand of all has a one word slogan ‘Enjoy’
“Before there’s any talk of content, let’s consider your brand. Is it relevant, constructed and clear, because if it is, your foundation is set. A good website will reflect the brand through its colourways, typography and tone of voice. The latter is important. If you’re not a modern-day James Joyce, invest in a copywriter, let them craft a professional representation of your offering, free from typos and grammatical errors!”
From my own experience, this was one of the hardest parts of starting my business, getting a message tegether and a logo I felt resonated with who I am. If I was starting again, I would go to a professional for this aspect, a real brand consultant will tease out your unique story too.
Tell Your Story
“From a content perspective, it’s about the storyline and this is where commissioned photography, illustration and video can really make a difference. These assets are part of your brand and when created well, it shows you care about presentation and attention to detail. It says ‘We believe in going the extra mile’ and by that very definition, it makes a statement about your business too.”
Tell your own story
Sage words of advice from Philip and really the difference between an average brand and a quality one is the combination of story, quality content and a brand your customers can get behind.
Four Content Tips to Get You Started
Without content, your site will not gain traction or sales. You may already have access to some content and you don’t even know it! Here are four questions/tips to kick-start your content creation.
Do you have content already?
If so, great! Make sure your logo, copy, photos and video are high quality and show off your business in the best light. If you don't have content, let's look at your options.
Is your company a franchise or part of a trade body?
Many have excellent content, such as images or videos that you can use to advertise your products. It's a great shortcut to get up and running quickly.
Hire a professional
There are many excellent copywriters, photographers, videographers and creative companies to help with this, such as darling.ie. A professional will think of things you haven't considered and manage the process for you. That doesn't mean you won't have any work to do, but they have experience and know the shortcuts. It's not free, but it will give you the best possible start and repay its value in the brand's perception.
Build your own
If you are creative and a little tech-savvy, you could take a stab get started with a smartphone and some photo editing software. To take it to another level there are some online tools I will cover in a future post, such as Canva..
In the next installment
It’s time to start building an ecommerce page for the site, we will talk about buliding your inventory, descriptions, pricing and how to make your customers trust you with their money.
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