Without content, there is no online service

Without content, there is no online service

Content is an important part of an online service. Without it, the online service can't even function. The content affects both the image created by the organization, the search engine findability and the conversion of the site.

Content marketing and online writing are a constant concern for communication experts. In practice, there could be significantly more good content – ​​i.e. interesting and useful for the target group – in companies' online services. The front pages tell about the company, not the user, while the bottom pages have difficult to understand and mile-long text that scares users away.

So why should you invest in the content of an online service? Why should the content of the front page and every other page be carefully considered? Here are a few reasons:

1. Brand

A brand is something much bigger than content, images or even an entire online service. However, all three can influence the image of the organization.

Things can be said in many ways. What kind of image do you want to give your organization? Do you want to appear youthful, bold, knowledgeable, confident, funny, or something else? With content, you can influence how your organization is perceived.

2. Search engines

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. However, not for search engines. A thousand words say a lot more to them.

Search engine optimization is its own art form, but a big part of it is search engine friendly content. They help the site to be found with the words you want it to be found with. How important is it to you to be found on Google with the words you want?

3. The message

If you have an online service, you probably want to use it to say something - maybe who you are, what you do, what you offer and what you're aiming for. How you say and structure your content has an impact on how well you get your message across.

We read online services in a different way than traditional media. We read books from start to finish, we scan online services. Attention is drawn first to images, titles, lists, links, bolded points, everything that stands out from the crowd. We may not even read anything else.

Photo: Nielsen Norman Group

That's why the most important thing shouldn't be said in the middle of a long piece of text, but where it will definitely be noticed. For the same reason, the content should be designed to be easy to read and airy. When the content is formatted correctly, the desired message is likely to get across better.

4. Site visitor numbers

Good content brings visitors to the site, and not just because it is search engine friendly. When the content is genuinely interesting, it is shared and commented on. Content brings visitors, but it has to be exceptionally good, because there is enough good content out there.

The title is a particularly important part. With a good title alone, you can get a lot more visitors. The afternoon papers are a good proof of that. Of course, the best thing is that the content corresponding to the title is also interesting.

5. Commitment

Content is available everywhere. On TikTok, Instagram, Twitter feed, Facebook, blogs, magazine pages, company pages, Youtube, Snapchat, everywhere. Information alarm is a familiar term these days.

So mediocre content is not enough. It must be able to stand out from the crowd, to evoke emotions. You have to be able to identify with it and you have to feel like sharing it. Not an easy task, but not impossible either.

No one can succeed in creating top content every time, but these can:

1. tell a story, they usually engage well
2. evoke emotions, preferably positive ones
3. choose something really relatable as a topic
4. provide useful information
5. ask yourself if your content is really interesting

6. Results

The right kind of content can also increase the conversion of an online service, i.e. the result. Oh how? Well, in many ways. For example, by arranging the content correctly, using action prompts and action words, guiding the user in the desired direction and writing selling content that appeals to your target group.

Forgetting the organization-oriented approach and talking about yourself will also get you far. The user of your online service is not interested in your organization. He is interested in how he benefits.

Online service and content - where to start?

What is the goal of your online service and what do you want to say with it? Make the goal crystal clear, and decision-making will be clearer. When you know that you want your online service to bring in more members or sales, you can design the content to specifically support that. When you then figure out your user group and produce content that is really interesting to them, your content will probably be much better than many others.

At the same time, you may notice that your online service produces better results than before.