You can’t buy web content by the kilo

I love the excitement of Amsterdam’s open air markets. Fruits – vegetables – chicken – fish.  Like so many commodities, you can buy anything by the kilo ……… anything but web content.

Therein lies the challenge for large corporations – everywhere. Too many companies still treat web content as a commodity you can buy in bulk. To them, web content is an afterthought. It’s something you do at the end of a long web development process.

Too often, I hear “we are going live in four weeks, we need 100 pages written, how much?” This commodity thinking may help you meet a deadline but it won’t result in good content. Good content is not about producing web pages in quantity. It’s about creating and fine tuning content that engages your audience.  And that takes time.

So the next time you re-launch your corporate site, surprise your copywriters. Call them in at the beginning of the process. If you don’t already have a content strategy, let your writers create one. Make sure it’s clear what you are trying to achieve and who you are trying to reach. Then create a plan and an internal process to make it all happen.

Takeway – Good web content can be a strategic asset, which engages your audience and builds your brand.  However, if you treat web content like a commodity … you will get what you pay for.

Like this post?  Share it.  Written by Don Seidenberg