10 ideas for new content for small business websites

When I talk with a prospective client that has a website but is considering a re-design, many times s/he will tell me to ‘just take the content on my current site’ to use for content on the new site. There are probably plenty of pearls of good, searchable content in that business owner’s website. Otherwise, there business wouldn’t be where it is today – right? But a web design/re-design project is the perfect time to re-asses and consider new content that helps put your site in a favorable view for search engine optimization, too.

Full disclosure – I’m not a content creator, copy editor or writer but as a web designer, I see the tremendous value of current, relevant (to your business) content as you use your website as a tool to help you put your best virtual face forward while you do what you love to do – manage and run your business.

One of the best sources of information to reach your ideal client is to write an article to educate your prospects so that they will get to know, like and trust you and your business. What is a good idea for an article you might ask? It’s difficult to generalize, but consider the top ten or twenty questions you hear prospects and clients ask you. There are gems in those questions and your answers that, if placed in context on your website, will help your website work well now and in the future.

Here are several questions for a variety of businesses:
1. if you’re a restaurant owner, write an article about the best, locally grown or organic ingredients you use in the entrees that you offer
2. if you own a hair salon, write an article about the top 5 things you can do to keep your hair, happy and healthy in between visits to the salon
3. if you’re a web designer, you can put together a checklist of helpful tips or a road map of a successful project to help your clients prepare for a web design project ahead of time. Include the best way to organize files, images, likes/dislikes, color preferences, influences to your client use time with you effectively
4. if you’re a chiropractor, you can write an article about the 3 best ways to avoid back pain
5. if you’re a massage therapist, you can offer three self-care tips
6. if you’re an insurance broker, you can suggest 3 things small business owners with 50+ employees might need to know about the new healthcare law
7. if you own a biotechnology company, you could write about the future ‘landscape’ of biotechnology
8. if you own a landscaping business (speaking of landscape!), you could describe the top 3 best tips to yard care in the winter time
9. if you are an attorney, you could write an article about what materials/information your client may want to have on hand during a meeting to ensure that meeting and the time you spend together is well spent
10. if you are a physician, you could offer 10 wellness tips to keep your patients healthy and vital

All these ideas would offer relevant, useful and interesting content to your ideal prospect who, as they read your helpful information, and possibly meet you out at a local networking event, will surely become your client!