Fact: Ninety-eight percent of online shoppers have not completed a purchase due to incorrect or incomplete website content. This number huge! And if anything, should nudge all web-based stores to focus on their content in 2019.

“...a website or mobile app with lackluster content can turn off consumers and in many cases, discourage them from making a purchase. Our study shows consumers really care about content when shopping online, not only the quality and accuracy but also how it’s delivered to them. Complete and accurate content is now table stakes, and brands looking to go above and beyond must consider personalization.” - Ed Kennedy, senior director, Episerver

So what is the difference between bad content and effective content?

Selling before building trust.

As consumers, we can all agree that making purchases from a trustworthy source is of utmost importance. We can also likely agree that we’d prefer to not be oversold.

We’ve all shopped in retail stores with an overzealous employee. The one that hounds you before you’ve even gotten through the door. It’s frustrating. They’re trying to sell you something without establishing any trust or relationship.

Good content builds trust with your customers through a consistent brand story. This means your web, social media and face-to-face presence needs to be uniform. Inconsistencies among platforms invite distrust and is certainly considered bad content.

Finding the balance between selling your products with building a connection is the sweet spot of internet sales.

Establishing your audience.

Good website content is targeted towards your true audience. This established audience must be consistent with those buying your product. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to reflect on!

Understanding who your current audience is and knowing who you want to add to your audience can make a world of a difference in the content you push out.

It’s not about you.

As much as your website is to showcase who your business is, it’s more so to show consumers what they can be with your business or product.

Ultimately, your business can’t succeed without customers, so creating content that honors their questions and needs will stretch much further than a site all about yourself.

We’re all about a humble brag here and there, but in the end, it’s all about the customer.

Good, effective content helps your audience resolve a problem they have or fulfills a need. Bad content prioritizes your business over your audience’s needs. If you need help creating great content for your website or ecommerce platform, we’re here to help!