A lot of content swirling around the Internet doesn’t do much except roll over and play dead – what we mean is, it doesn’t convert visitors if it attracts them at all.
Good content informs, entertains and motivates the reader to take the next step…maybe that’s making contact, or ordering or downloading an ebook for example. Whatever that next step is, good content gets the reader to keep going rather than click the back button and search further on other sites.
One of the ways to accomplishing this goal is to ensure your content doesn’t drag on, or overstay its welcome. Think of it like a neighbor. You may like talking to them occasionally but you don’t exactly want them over to dinner every night.
Leave your readers wanting more, and then give them more when they move on to the next phase of your engagement process.
Many online marketers either do too much or too little with their content. While there is a minimum amount of words you need on a page, there’s no particular number to shoot for. Basically, the amount of content you develop depends on what’s needed to move the reader along to the next stage…nothing more, nothing less.
Use only the number of words you need to convert a site visitor and not one more. Your audience isn’t just one person…its many different personas and personalities, each with their own unique needs. Trying to explicitly satisfy them all will cause your content to “wear out its welcome.”
Remember, you don’t have to meet everyone’s needs perfectly on one particular webpage or blog post. Figure out, in a general sense, what each group’s next step would be and provide them that opportunity. For some, it may be an “about us” page, for others it may the “buy” button and others may be interested to learn more about “shipping policies.”
What you want to do is develop content that’s minimal but provides opportunities for all types of people who come across it. From there, they can go find what they need to allay their fears or answer their questions, providing the entire audience with what it wants.
