About This Blog
Sara Lancaster here. Thanks for visiting the No. 2 Pen blog where I talk all things website content for small businesses. Have a question about your web content? Send it my way and I'll respond in a post.Project Hound
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Posts Tagged ‘Web Site Content’
Where to Find the Expiration Date on Your Web Content
Monday, June 21st, 2010
Did you look on the bottom? What about the label? No expiration date anywhere?
You can’t find the expiration date on your web content, because it’s not there. However, there are a few ways to look at web content and decide on when it should be updated. But that’s probably not what you want to hear. You want to hear a concrete answer on web content expiry. I get that.
So before I get into the long “it depends” conversation, let me give you the short answer. Small businesses should revise there web content at least once a year.
That’s just the minimum effort. Now for the long answer. (more…)
Essential Questions for Your FAQ Page
Thursday, June 17th, 2010
Most small businesses need a page devoted to frequently asked questions on their website. The questions you list should be the questions your customers commonly ask (obviously), but if you’re just starting out, then you might know what questions your typical customer will ask.
If that’s your case, start out with the 10 questions below and update the FAQs when appropriate. (more…)
5 Website Errors that Could Ruin Your Business
Monday, June 14th, 2010
Did I get your attention with this dramatic headline?
Good. Turns out the following five errors may not ruin your business, but they certainly won’t help your business or your brand. I suggest read close and then head to your site to make improvements.
1. Broken links
Before publishing a page or a post on your site, always test the links to make sure they work. Additionally, run a link check on your site every month. I rely on the Xenu’s Link Sleuth to tell me about my broken links. Broken links can hurt your SEO ranking and create a poor user experience. (more…)
A Primer on Providing Content to Your Web Developer
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
A web developer and a web copywriter typically have their own unique skill sets. A developer will be great with code, while a copywriter has a way with words. In some situations, you can find a web professional who handles all aspects of website creation, but usually that’s not the case.
This means you will need to provide web content to your developer. Here are some of the common issues that arise when providing the copy. (more…)
Five Most Important Steps to Creating a Website
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
No frills here. Only the five most important steps to creating an effective website for your business.
1) The key to a well-received website lies in a professionally designed logo. Logo Design Team* can do it for less than $200. Can’t say it enough: Professional logos are a HUGE part of making the sale.
2) Use the Google AdWords Keyword Tool to research phrases specific to your business. Once you have a list of relevant terms that people search for on the web, you can get started with the site. (more…)
What’s the Curb Appeal of Your Website Content?
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
In real estate sales, curb appeal is crucial. The square footage of the home, the refinished kitchen, and the school district may be great sellers, but if the paint is peeling and the sidewalk is overtaken with weeds, few potential buyers will take the time go inside, let alone make an offer.
The same goes for your website content. (more…)
Website Content Writer Checklist
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
The No. 2 Pen specializes as a website content writer providing original, fresh copy for clients. We also advise our clients on website content writing best practices too.
As part of our growing list of free writing resources, we’ve created a website content writer checklist, which is particularly beneficial for small- and medium-sized businesses who have decided to take on the task of website content writing for themselves.
What’s the Carbon Footprint of Your Web Copy?
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Every year on October 15 (today) bloggers from all over the world participate in Blog Action Day to bring awareness to certain social issues. Thanks to the commitment of Change.org and other organizations, this year more than 9,000 bloggers are participating (including me) by writing about climate change. Climate change isn’t just terrifying, it’s relevant to every person and every industry, even those who write web copy.
How, you ask? Let me tell you …
Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions for Your Website
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
Not long ago I blogged about all the pages you need on your website including a privacy policy and a terms and conditions page. These two pages not only protect you from certain legal liabilities, but they also are helpful in earning trust from your website visitors and credibility from a search engine optimization perspective.
Privacy policies are a necessity, especially if you are asking for email addresses anywhere on your site. Consumer Reports even lists a privacy policy as one of five necessary elements of a website.You can read that list of five by clicking here -> Consumer Reports Webwatch Guidelines.
Things to Consider When Hiring a Website Content Writer
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
There are dozens, no scratch that, thousands of website content writers available to work with you on your website content. The truth is that more than 3/4 of those writers will do a fine job writing your content, but that doesn’t mean they are the right writer for you.
So how do you sift through the thousands of websites to locate the best website content creator?
When you land on the writer’s website, look for three things.