There are two essential things that every successful web designer needs:
- An expertly designed website
- The right mix of powerful, impactful web content
If you’re reading this, we can almost certainly tick off the first one. After all, your website acts as the ultimate proof of your skill, talent, and experience. It’s your way of saying, ‘Hey, look what I’m capable of!’
But the second one? If you’re like many professional web designers, content might not be something that comes as naturally to you. It can be tricky to come up with fresh website content ideas week in and week out, even if it is your main focus.
So if you’re not sure you’re covering all the bases for content on your website, you’re in the right place. Read on, and we’ll offer up some expert advice about what types of web content your site needs.
Why (a mix of) content matters
As a web designer, you’re probably used to thinking about content from an SEO point of view, but content can be more than that. The right content can help you build your client base, weed out unsuitable leads, and build stronger relationships with your existing clients.
The fact is that your design talent, your reputation, and word of mouth only get you so far. When done properly, web content is what’s going to get you the rest of the way. It works alongside everything else you’re doing to guide leads and customers through the sales funnel, right from start to finish.
So why do we need different types of content?
It’s because we want to use content to support customers every step of the way. And – as you probably already know – those at the beginning of their journey usually have very different needs than those near the end of their journey. One type of content can’t help them all, so we give them what they need, when they need it.
Types of web content
You can categorise and group together content in any number of ways. There’s no definitive rule, and every marketing expert will have their own theories on how best to label them. To keep it simple, we’re going to introduce you to our take on the six most valuable types of web content, helping you bridge any gaps on your agency website.
1. Attraction content
As the name suggests, attraction content is designed to draw in those people/organisations that fit the mould. For example, as a web designer, you might be looking for small businesses that launched a basic site when they first started, but as they grow and develop, need something with more ‘oomph’.
Attraction content can be used in two ways. You can use it to pull people in from search engines by answering their questions, and convert on-site visitors who are looking to solve a problem. Ultimately, you want visitors to read your stuff and say, ‘Yeah, that’s what I need!’
So what’s important when it comes to attraction content? Imagine you’re on a first date (and it’s going well!). Talk about their interests. Ask them questions. Empathise with their needs. Understand their aspirations, and form a connection.
2. Repelling content
While it’s important to understand who you want to work with, and pull them in closer, you also need to know who you don’t want to work with – and send them packing. It might sound harsh, but there’s a very good reason for repelling content.
Here’s a question: who do you want to work with? NB: the correct answer is not ‘anyone and everyone’. We all have types of clients that we just don’t click with. Maybe they’re after something that isn’t your speciality. Or perhaps they want to work in ways that don’t gel with how you do things. Maybe they want you to design them a website for ‘the exposure’. Pah!
Whatever it is, if you only focus on attracting people, you’re going to find yourself pretty frustrated further down the line. Repelling content balances things out, giving you an opportunity to clearly (but tactfully) tell your website visitors what sorts of things you’re not interested in.
3. Pricing content
This one’s a little controversial. Some people think that talking about pricing is a bit awkward. Money can definitely be a taboo subject. The problem is that if you don’t talk about it, you can potentially waste a bunch of time and effort building relationships with the wrong people.
Imagine you’ve been chatting to a potential client for a while. They’re interesting. They’re exciting. They love what you do, and everything’s ticking along nicely. Then BAM! You provide your quote, and your prospect responds with, ‘Oh, but our budget’s only half that’. It’s disappointing. For both of you.
Pricing content is a chance to be upfront about the costs involved when using your services. More and more people expect transparency, so using this content is a way to meet that expectation. It’s also a great opportunity to stand out and differentiate yourself from those who don’t use it.
4. Authority content
You know you’re an expert at what you do. Your customers know you’re an expert at what you do. But how do new clients and potential prospects know? The answer is simple: you tell them. Or more specifically, you show them, using content that demonstrates your know-how.
Authority content is a way to show off without being showy. You can use it to reveal your experience in the field, highlight your passion or involvement within the industry, and share opinions, advice, recommendations, and information that works to establish your credibility and expertise.
Really, authority content is about being able to back up and support what you’ve been saying with proof; whether that’s research, analysis, experience, or anything else. It’s essential because it builds trust with visitors, easing any concerns they may have and helping them feel more confident.
5. Affinity content
In recruitment, there’s been a massive shift recently. Job-seekers are no longer looking for the highest salaries or the most impressive titles; they’re looking to work for businesses that share their values. This is worth knowing, because the same thing is happening with clients & customers.
Of course, services, pricing, expertise, and all that stuff still matters. But the importance of working with a company with a similar mindset, personality and vision is growing. Today, customers want partnerships more than they want transactions, so creating a connection is vital.
You can do this by using affinity content. It’s closely related to authority content, in that it involves sharing your thoughts and opinions. But rather than demonstrating your industry knowledge, you should be focusing on showing off your personality, character, principles, views and standards.
6. Action content
At the end of the day, what you want your website visitors to do is take action. Do they know how they’re supposed to move forward and take the next step? And if they do, are they sure what’s around the corner? If not, action content helps clear everything up.
Action content is used to point visitors in the right direction, and give them the confidence to take that next step. For example, you could produce a step-by-step guide which clearly outlines exactly what it’s like working with you. It’ll show them what’s likely to happen – and when – during the partnership.
The point of action content is to benefit both your customers and your business. Site visitors gain a clear picture of how your process works and what they’ll need to do; you save time – and potentially get to reassess parts of that process that could be streamlined.
The right content, at the right time
You might have heard that there are 3 things you need to do to build a positive customer journey:
- Attract
- Engage
- Delight
The 6 different types of web content above all slot nicely into one of these 3 stages.
Stage: Attract
Target audience: Strangers
Content type: Attraction content, repelling content
Usage / website content ideas: Landing pages, lead magnets, problem/solution-based blogs
When you’re dealing with brand new website visitors, the most important thing here is to work out, as quickly as possible, whether they’re the sort of customers that are worth your time and effort. So straight off the bat, you should be using your attraction content and repelling content to pull in the people that you can potentially help, and filter out the ones who aren’t a good fit for your company.
Stage: Engage
Target audience: Prospects
Content type: Authority content, pricing content, affinity content
Usage / website content ideas: Opinion pieces, case studies, plan/package descriptions
At the engage stage, your visitors are looking to learn more about you, what you do, and why you do it, so they can make the right decision. This is the time to be completely upfront and clear about your business. The aim is to make sure everyone’s on the same page and knows what to expect. You should be sharing your beliefs, providing information, and showing why it all works.
Stage: Delight
Target audience: Qualified leads
Content type: Action content
Usage / website content ideas: Emails, process documentation, CTAs
Now that you’ve got a pool of people that (a) want to work with you, and (b) you want to work with, you can begin delighting them. How do you do that? By offering them support, and essentially being there to hold their hand through the process. Action content does just that; it gently guides qualified leads towards the next step – and each further step – until they become a happy, satisfied customer.
Unleash the power of great content
Your design skill speaks for itself. But the message is even clearer when your content joins in.
When everything’s working together, you can have complete confidence that you’re giving your website visitors exactly what they’re looking for; what they need to choose you.
Content may not have been high on your list of website priorities. But hopefully, we’ve shed some light on something that could help you enhance your digital presence and give your business a boost.