Comments on: Top 10 Content Problems for Small Biz Web Sites http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/ Internet Marketing, Branding and Web Development for B2B Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:45:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alysha http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-129 Alysha Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:44:41 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/uncategorized/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/#comment-129 That's a fair point. Small business blog writers will need to make sure their posts are "hard-hitting", informative and succinct. That’s a fair point.

Small business blog writers will need to make sure their posts are “hard-hitting”, informative and succinct.

]]> By: Brad Shorr http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-128 Brad Shorr Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:27:35 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/uncategorized/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/#comment-128 Hi Alysha, Thanks for visiting & sharing your ideas. There are exceptions to every rule, and some bloggers have made excellent careers out of breaking rules. Reading your comment, it occurs to me that longer posts can work well particularly when credibility has been established. Yaro is an excellent example. He's a widely recognized authority, and people definitely crave his ideas. If a small business is new to blogging, I still question whether a steady diet of lengthy posts will be likely to gain readers and build community. Hi Alysha, Thanks for visiting & sharing your ideas. There are exceptions to every rule, and some bloggers have made excellent careers out of breaking rules. Reading your comment, it occurs to me that longer posts can work well particularly when credibility has been established. Yaro is an excellent example. He’s a widely recognized authority, and people definitely crave his ideas. If a small business is new to blogging, I still question whether a steady diet of lengthy posts will be likely to gain readers and build community.

]]> By: Alysha http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-127 Alysha Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:07:51 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/uncategorized/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/#comment-127 I'm going to be the "odd one out" here and disagree with #1. Obviously, it makes good sense to not have overwhelmingly long posts. I agree with Brad and Jeanne, it can be intimidating and bump your visitors very quickly. However, I think sometimes longer content is necessary to fully explain an idea. I think of Yaro Starak. He always has long posts, but they are so engaging, I read them in complete. I would tweak #1 just a bit. People will read longer posts if the content is interesting to them. But you have to understand that the same rules to reading a newspaper apply to reading online. We need lots of short paragraphs to allow for skimming; short paragraphs and headings are complementary graphical features just as much as a key photo, graph or cartoon. The biggest difference between a news article and a blog/web page post is that we have to not just use Headlines but also frequent subheadlines. And these headlines must always be customer-focused (not company-focused). Thanks for a great (engaging!) post, Brad. I will definitely share it on Twitter. I’m going to be the “odd one out” here and disagree with #1.

Obviously, it makes good sense to not have overwhelmingly long posts. I agree with Brad and Jeanne, it can be intimidating and bump your visitors very quickly.

However, I think sometimes longer content is necessary to fully explain an idea. I think of Yaro Starak. He always has long posts, but they are so engaging, I read them in complete.

I would tweak #1 just a bit. People will read longer posts if the content is interesting to them. But you have to understand that the same rules to reading a newspaper apply to reading online.

We need lots of short paragraphs to allow for skimming; short paragraphs and headings are complementary graphical features just as much as a key photo, graph or cartoon.

The biggest difference between a news article and a blog/web page post is that we have to not just use Headlines but also frequent subheadlines. And these headlines must always be customer-focused (not company-focused).

Thanks for a great (engaging!) post, Brad. I will definitely share it on Twitter.

]]> By: Jeanne Dininni http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-126 Jeanne Dininni Wed, 14 May 2008 05:11:22 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/uncategorized/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/#comment-126 Sage advice, Brad! Numbers 2 and 6 are inexcusable in an active website and are sure to cause loss of customers/revenue. About #1: I've seen websites with long, continuous, unbroken paragraphs (some with only <i>one</i> long paragraph--<i>scary!</i>) that looked so daunting that, as much as I love to read, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Shorter paragraphs with plenty of white space between and around them are essential if you actually expect anyone to read the content--instead of heading for the nearest exit, aka, the back arrow. Another excellent post! Jeanne Sage advice, Brad!

Numbers 2 and 6 are inexcusable in an active website and are sure to cause loss of customers/revenue.

About #1: I’ve seen websites with long, continuous, unbroken paragraphs (some with only one long paragraph–scary!) that looked so daunting that, as much as I love to read, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Shorter paragraphs with plenty of white space between and around them are essential if you actually expect anyone to read the content–instead of heading for the nearest exit, aka, the back arrow.

Another excellent post!
Jeanne

]]> By: Brad Shorr http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-125 Brad Shorr Tue, 13 May 2008 12:16:48 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/uncategorized/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/#comment-125 Amen to that, Bob. When I review sites for clients, navigation is a focus area unto itself, so I tend not to think of it in terms of content. But it is a major issue with many sites. Amen to that, Bob. When I review sites for clients, navigation is a focus area unto itself, so I tend not to think of it in terms of content. But it is a major issue with many sites.

]]> By: Robert Hruzek http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-124 Robert Hruzek Tue, 13 May 2008 12:07:16 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/uncategorized/top-10-content-problems-for-small-biz-web-sites/#comment-124 Good list, Brad. How about adding one more? 11. An easy to figure out navigation system! I can't tell you how many times I gave up on a site because there wasn't an obvious way to find what I wanted - not even a search bar! Aggravating, to say the least. Good list, Brad. How about adding one more?

11. An easy to figure out navigation system! I can’t tell you how many times I gave up on a site because there wasn’t an obvious way to find what I wanted – not even a search bar! Aggravating, to say the least.

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