You’ve been working on your website for three months. You hired a top notch web design team, and they delivered. You love your new site. It’s simple, elegant, and effective. From the typography to the copy—it works. It’s easy to navigate and has concrete calls to action. It’s a great site, and you’re glad your work is done.

But, it’s not Done

The initial roll-out may be completed, but the work of maintaining an engaging website that promotes your business has just begun. There are more than 16 billion websites and if you want consumers to find you on the web, you not only have to offer a user-friendly and attractive site, but more. Here’s the catch. You have to continuously update and expand content. If you don’t, your site’s visibility will wane. Your website is hungry and needs constantly fed. If you listen carefully you can hear it whisper,”Feed me Seymour.”

What to Feed Your Website

Content – The most accessible way to update and add content is with a blog. Publishing a new post at a minimum of once per week will significantly help your sites SEO (Search Engine Optimization.)

What Flavor is Your Blog?

What does your website like to eat? Begin by determining the topics that will appeal to your target audience. What industry related keywords are being searched for by potential customers? Whether you use Google AdWords for CPC (Cost Per Click), or not, the AdWords Keyword Planner can help you identify useful keywords, which may lead to appealing topics. Here are a few blog post topic ideas…I mean flavors.

  • FAQ – Ask co-workers from every department in your organization for their most frequently asked questions.
  • How to – Whether it’s how to prepare, avoid, or install, consumers are searching for this content.
  • How much – What does it cost? If the product or service has an exact price—share it. If the price depends on variables, list those factors and share a price range. Here’s an example, How much do Vehicle Wraps Cost?
  • How it works – Explain how each of your products and services is created from design to delivery. Publish individual posts for every product and service.
  • Problem-solving – Share what problems your product or service solves and how.

Beyond the Blog

Publishing new web content isn’t limited to a blog. To begin with, you can post on more than one blog.  Zappos has 13 blogs, and they’ve done well. You think?  We have three separate blogs for our three divisions. Here are some other content publishing formats.

eBooks – An eBook can be an expanded version of a “how it works” blog post. It can be a tutorial or a guide. For example, TKO Graphix Free EBook Downloads.

Case studies – Sharing problems your customers have faced, your solution, and the outcome is one of the best ways to connect with new prospects. Here’s an example, creating an Online Company Store

Checklists – Problem-solving checklists that organize activities and information are valuable tools for most consumers and any business. Graphics Checklist for a New Business

Video – Can be used for customer testimonials, product tutorials, and more. This simple video has more than 20,000 views. How to Remove Decals

Images – Not only should images be part of every blog post, but they should stand on their own with portfolios, featured customers, and new work. Here’s an example, TKO Marketing Solutions Portfolio

What’s for Dinner?

Websites are fluid, they continue to change and grow; the audience they attract changes, as do the methods of website analytics that affect SEO. A site is a growing thing, it must be fed. It craves content that consumers are searching for; content that solves problems, and introduces new products. It’s hungry, and it’s up to you to feed it the right stuff. If you’d like to learn more about content creation let us know—we have a recipe.