Content Marketing Today

Before You Obsess about Web 2.0, Make Sure You Get 1.0 Right

For small to medium-sized businesses, it’s essential to provide great content before wandering onto  social mediopolis venues like FaceBook and Twitter

A powerfully pithy post on the Conversion Rate blog alerted me to some must-read content by web usability guru, Jacob Nielsen. 

According blogger, Brett Gilbertson, online marketing success is all about mastering the basics of providing relevant and accessible content. Done right that will lead to great conversion rates and growing sales. He quotes Nielsen,

“Instead of adding Facebook-like features that let users “bite” other users and turn them into zombies, the B2B site would get more sales by offering clear prices, good product photos, detailed specs, convincing whitepapers, an easily navigable information architecture, and an email newsletter.”

Nielsen’s article emphasizes the folly of following what either overly popular or overly unusual.  Good commonsense should prevail.  Nielsen’s  article walks you through what’s way too trendy for most of us. He helps you understand what’s out there and why you should almost certainly stay clear.

In fact, Nielsen has been crusading for web usability for more than 10 years.  He stresses in a linked post that companies must avoid 3 very common design mistakes by applying standards that have been in place since 1996.  They involve what he calls ’simple usability:’

• Communicating clearly so that users understand you. Users allocate minimal time to initial website visits, so you must quickly convince them that the site’s worthwhile.
• Providing information users want. Users must be able to easily determine whether your services meet their needs and why they should do business with you.
• Offering simple, consistent page design, clear navigation, and an information architecture that puts things where users expect to find them.

Get these right and you’ll create much more value for your visitors–and for yourself–than by any wacky Java or Flash fireworks.

Related articles:

Read how Brett Gilbertson’s team delivers astonishing sales results for his customers: The Content Hunter: Aussie Experts Wrestle Sales Results from the Internet

Here’s an article on a very bad site that ignores Nielsen’s sage guidance: 3 Horrendous Mistakes Universal McCann Makes on its Website

Here’s an article on a great, visual blog that delivers $$ results for its business owner: Simple Success Strategy for Small Smoothie Supplier