By Kirk Hiner, Production Manager
When we’re designing websites at Dynamics Online, the site’s content factors
as much into our development strategy as does the site’s appearance. The
increased popularity of Flash animation and the advent of CSS (cascading
style sheets) have made it easier for designers to create attractive
websites, but it’s important to also keep in mind how content is written and
presented within these designs.
Remember your Keywords
Because your homepage is generally the page first indexed by search engines,
it’s important to place as much content there as possible; searchable
content. If there are keywords or phrases for which you want to rank highly
in search engines, use those terms here. Likewise, for searchability
purposes, it’s never a good idea to make your homepage an “intro” page with
only a Flash animation or a simple graphic. These are not searchable,
and—depending upon how they’re implemented—can prevent search engines from
looking beyond the homepage into the rest of the site.
Consider the User
It’s not only important to consider the text featured on your homepage, but
also the manner in which that text is presented. Although you want your
content to be keyword rich, you don’t want to inundate your visitor with
volumes of text. It’s fine to present the history or philosophy of your
company somewhere on your website, for example, but forcing visitors to see
this right away by placing it on your homepage could drive these visitors
away from your site. Better to write about customers and solutions than
about yourself or your company.
Engage the Short Attention Span
A good approach is to treat your website’s homepage as you would the cover
page of a product brochure or flyer. Be succinct. Use bullet points to
highlight the important items. Introduce the visitor to all that your site
offers, but there’s no need to go into too much detail here. Instead, link
from your keywords to the corresponding page within your site. Navigation
throughout your site does not need to be restricted to the site’s menu bars,
after all.
Example
Check out the website for Sitka Point Lodge & Fishing Charters, a travel
destination offering Alaskan
fishing vacations, to see an example of an effective use of content
written for both the website and the search engines. Notice the emphasis on
important keywords related to “Alaska” and “fishing,” as well as the short,
informative paragraphs used throughout the site. (www.SitkaPointCharters.com)
As better technology and faster Internet connections allow for more
graphically intense website designs, remember to stay focused on providing
your visitors with a description of your product that’s not only concise,
but that also will attract visitors through search engines and engage them
in your offering. For assistance with this or to develop your internet
design/marketing strategy, contact
Dynamics Online.
