1. Create Long Form Content
The typical blog post has 500-700 words while long form content is at least 1500 words. Long form content improves customer experience by providing in-depth information not found in shorter articles. Long form content can include step-by-step tutorials, detailed studies, and product comparison guides. It’s often accompanied by helpful screenshots, diagrams, videos, and other visual aids. The benefits of creating long form content include potential higher rankings in search results, and an increase in social shares. According to Search Engine Land, researchers analyzed more than 20,000 keywords and found that the average word count for the top ten search results consisted of articles with more than 2,000 words. According to Moz, long form content is also more likely to have a higher number of backlinks. Quicksprout found that content over 1500 words received 68% more tweets, and 22% more likes on Facebook. Not only do people enjoy long copy, they are also likely to share it with their friends. More social shares means exposure for your company and the opportunity to gain new customers.
2. Make Your Content Scannable
According to a study by Nielsen Norman Group, just 16% of users read online articles word by word while a whopping 79% scan the page. Improve your customer’s user experience by making your content easy to scan. This means breaking up text in shorter paragraphs and using headers, bullet points, and lists. If you create a website using WordPress you can install a visual editor like Thrive Content Builder, which makes it easy to format content with customizable boxes and feature grids. Avoid using jargon or verbose language; your posts should be easy to read and incorporate every day vocabulary. Claims should be linked to credible sources enabling your customer to explore a particular topic in detail if he or she chooses.
3. Offer Value With A Newsletter
E-mail marketing may have a bad reputation due to a few unscrupulous spammers, but it’s actually an excellent tool that can be used to build a relationship with your customer. Newsletters can be used to offer something of value, such as a discount, or access to extra content not available on your website. For example, Bodybuilding’s newsletter offers subscribers free exercise plans and diet tips. Many online clothing retailers, including American Eagle and Forever 21, offer online coupons for 10% off when you sign up for their e-mail list. Popular e-mail marketing services used by small to medium sized businesses include Mail Chimp, Constant Contact, and Aweber. The best e-mail marketing services should offer A/B testing, pre-built e-mail templates, responsive customer service, and should be user-friendly. Mix and match your e-mail updates with news and offers of interest to your readership.
4. Focus On Design
Design matters just as as much as content. If your site looks like it was designed in 1996, chances are that visitors won’t stay long on your website. Millennials in particular favor websites that are sleek, fast and modern looking. According to CrazyEgg, design problems that can make a consumer distrust or lose interest include small print, busy layouts, pop-up ads, inappropriate domain names, and even lack of color usage. Pick a modern website design that’s easy to navigate, loads fast, and offers a cohesive color scheme. All of today’s best website builders such as Wix, Square Space, and Bold Grid include modern design elements with lots of slick templates to choose from. Hubspot says that the most important web design factors for satisfactory customer experience include making sure that your company’s contact information is clearly visible, linking your logo to the homepage in order to improve navigation, and incorporating an aesthetic design. Making your contact information easy to find helps to build trust and legitimacy. Make your site user-friendly, and your visitors will be more likely to turn into paying customers and repeat visitors.
