The key to a successful website lies in its content. It's the practical, useful information that potential visitors are seeking. While some may feel daunted by the task of creating content, fearing their writing skills are inadequate, it's important to remember that great content doesn't necessarily mean great prose.
You don't need to be a Pulitzer Prize-winning author to create solid website content. The focus should be on clear, concise explanations rather than perfect grammar. For instance, a website filled with "how-to" guides can be just as successful, if not more so, than a site filled with beautifully written prose.
Let's consider a hypothetical scenario involving a fishing website. Despite having limited personal fishing experience, the website owner, Bill, manages to create a site that is of great interest to fishing enthusiasts.
Bill receives a call from Phil, a regular contributor to his site's forum. Phil shares his recent fishing success at Triangle Lake, a location about 20 miles east of Kramer's Junction on Highway 145. Bill quickly shares this information with his site's visitors through a newsletter and a site update.
Bill's site doesn't just share fishing stories. It also provides practical information and services. For instance, he provides a map to Triangle Lake, complete with a marked route. He also offers a link to a travel desk for those short on time, and information about available accommodations at the nearby Rising Creek lodge.
Phil's fishing success at Triangle Lake isn't just due to the location. He's also using a BlueLine lure, which he believes is the key to his success. Bill shares this information with his site's visitors, providing links to detailed images of the lure, instructions on how to make one, and an option to purchase one directly from him.
Bill also keeps his site's content relevant by providing a long-term weather forecast for Triangle Lake. He follows multiple lakes and streams, providing similar information for each. He also sells fishing and camping gear, further adding value to his site.
At first glance, Bill's site may seem like a simple information hub for fishing enthusiasts. However, it's much more than that. Behind the scenes, Bill is selling everything a fisherman needs for a successful fishing trip. His visitors may not even realize they're being sold to, viewing the products as an additional service provided by Bill.
One potential drawback to this business model is its seasonality. However, with careful planning and diversification, such as offering off-season activities for skiers and hunters, it's possible to maintain profitability year-round.
This concept isn't limited to fishing. It can be applied to any area or product that people are passionate about. Whether it's weekend adventures for families, home remodeling tips, or gardening advice, the key is to provide practical, useful content that sets you apart from the competition.
While Bill's prose may contain a few errors, they're unlikely to deter a visitor who's eager to catch some fish. The same principle applies to any website: focus on providing practical, useful content, and your visitors will keep coming back for more.
Never, Ever Release Any Of Your Rights To Anyone
One of the grandest scams on the Web, which goes largelyunnoticed, is for a web-based bookseller or publisher to requiresome rights to your work in exchange for the service to beprovided. Many demand the electronic rights, for example.How Well Do You Know Your Perfect Customer?
Your Perfect Customer is real only in your mind. He or sheis the one individual most representative of your target. Theone to whom you always speak one-on-one in your newsletter andon your site.Does Search Engine Traffic Matter?
The short answer is, "Sure." And it likely always will.But the amount of free traffic search engines now deliver tomany small online businesses doesn't amount to much. And whatthere is of it continues to decline in importance. Pay-for-submission models are rapidly eliminating free options.