Internet Marketing Coach - New York

Learn Why Live Chat Features Are Important Assets on Your Website

Web Design Tips - Live Chat

As customers struggle with customer service systems (or a lack thereof), and business owners try to find a way to provide quality customer service at a low cost, one thing is sure – there needs to be a solution. I’m sure as a customer you’ve spent too much time working your way through an automated phone system, only to end up right back at the main menu with no answers. And as a business owner, paying for staff to manage customer service can be extremely expensive. The solution may be as simple as live chat.

What Is Live Chat?

Live Chat is a piece of software you can install or a service you can subscribe to. The former is the more common type of system. As a subscriber, you’ll simply embed a link on your website page(s). The link might say something like, “Click here to speak with a customer service representative.” Or “Click here for Live Chat.”

When this link is clicked by your customers and visitors they’ll be able to get in touch with you via Live Chat.

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Live Chat Benefits

Live Chat makes sure your customers are able to find the answers to their questions with the click of a button. No more voicemail, confusing phone systems or waiting for a ticket system message to be answered. It’s better customer service which results in profits.

Live Chat is cost-effective, and the combination of saving money and ensuring customer satisfaction both equal profits. And who doesn’t like that?

Interestingly enough, Live Chat can help you optimize your website. By placing your Live Chat on your web pages, you can see which pages are being visited and which pages motivate or trigger buying questions. This can help you determine how to better optimize your website and serve your customers. And if you’re careful to track the types of questions you receive via Live Chat, you can take steps to answer these questions thoroughly on your website.

Live Chat is a simple solution to a problem that’s been causing complications and frustration for a long time. It’s a cost-effective step to take to ensure your customers are 100% satisfied, and when combined with other customer service policies and procedures it may be exactly the solution you’ve been looking for.

Take a look at the Live Chat solution. Research providers to find the one that makes the most sense for you and your business, and give it a try. Test and track the results to make sure the system is giving you all the results you expect.

To your success,

Sherley

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Web Design Tips - How to Create Emotional Triggers to Motivate Customers to Buy

Web Design - Web Content

Web content sales copy has a single purpose, to motivate the reader to take action. That action could be to make a purchase, though it may also be to motivate an inquiry, to inspire a click-through or to generate a subscriber. Regardless of the ultimate goal, using emotions to motivate action is a great way to increase your conversion rate.

We buy for emotional reasons, plain and simple. We justify our purchase based on logic but the initial purchase is always triggered by emotions. We want to feel better, look better, be more respected, and a whole host of needs and desires. It’s your job when you’re writing your sales copy to tap into these needs and desires with emotional copy.

#1 Position emotion in the problem. What is your prospect’s problem, the one your product solves? Write down a list of problems your prospect is having and see how you can inject emotion into the problem.

For example, “Frustrated that your business isn’t making as much money as you want it to?” “Overwhelmed by technology and looking for a simply solution to making more sales?”

Frustrated and overwhelmed are emotional words.

#2 Position emotion in the possibility you present. For example, “How would you feel if your business were meeting or exceeding your profit goals?” “Imagine how easy your life would be if all you needed was one simple tool to increase sales by 10%.”

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#3 Use emotional words in your body copy. For example:

* Afraid
* Overwhelmed
* Hopeless
* Triumphant
* Young
* Sexy
* Love
* Satisfying
* Secrets
* Trailblazing
* Urgent
* Exciting
* Lucky

#4 Understand the difference between rational words and emotional words. There’s actually a really useful tool available online. Simply search for “Paul Galloway Emotional words”. You’ll find a tool that lets you plug in your sales page and it will show you where you can replace rational words with more emotional words. Don’t just take the tool at its word, however, test and track the changes to see if your conversion rate increases.

#5 Make sure your headline or promise and your call to action are also tapping into emotions. Urgency, big promises and other headline and call to action tactics usually embrace the power of emotional words. For example, if you say “Buy now before the last copy is gone,” you’re tapping into the fear emotion. People will be afraid they’re not going to have access to a copy of your book and will click through to make a purchase now, which is what you want.

Remember when you’re writing your sales copy that we buy for emotional reasons. What emotions is your reader or prospect feeling? What emotions do they want to feel? How can you use emotion to make them purchase? Consider the emotions you have when you make a purchase and then put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Great sales copy speaks to these emotions to make it happen.

To your success,

Sherley

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Web Design - How To Hire a Good Ghost Writer to Write Web Content

Web Design - Web Content

In a business where content is essential and good content writers can be hard to find, hiring a good ghostwriter can be one of the best decisions you make. That being said, hiring a good ghostwriter isn’t always easy. It can be a long drawn out process of trial and error to find the one you work best with. Here are a few steps to help you make the process easier and more efficient.

Step #1 Outline your project or web content needs in detail. Not only what you need and when you need it but also the voice and style you want the content to be in. If you’re unsure about the voice and style, find examples of content you like online. Create a package, blueprint or guide to be able to give your chosen ghostwriter.

Why create your project needs before you find a ghostwriter? Because you want to find someone who can handle your project and content needs. Ghostwriters have specialties and some have very specific styles. You want to find someone who can represent you accurately.

Step #2 Ask friends, family, business partners and associates who they do business with, who they know in the writing industry and who they recommend. Make a list of these names and research them online.

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Step #3 Start researching for ghostwriters online. Do a Google search for writers who specialize in your niche or your content needs, search social networking sites like LinkedIn to find reputable ghostwriters and start sending inquiries. You can also post your project on freelance websites and have the writer come to you however you will be weeding through a lot of unqualified writers to find the one or two good ones.

Step #4 Check references. As the ghostwriters respond to your inquiries, start collecting and checking references. You’ll also want to ask for writing samples and review them with an eye toward your writing needs. Keep in mind you’re looking for a ghostwriter who responds to you in a timely manner, is easy to communicate with, professional and has a good reputation in the industry. There are many ghostwriters however not all of them are able to meet deadlines, write well and communicate effectively.

Step #5 Hire your ghostwriter and start them with a small test project. It can be something as small as simply writing a blog post or two. This test project is designed to not only make sure you’ve hired the right person but to also make sure you have an effective communication system down pat before you start with the big projects.

Finally, once you have a good ghostwriter working for you, keep them busy and pay them well and on time. Relationships are built over time and they’re two way streets. Take good care of your good ghostwriter and they’ll take good care of you.

To your success,

Sherley

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Web Design Tips - Why Savvy Web Designers Are Still in Business

Web Design

Ever wonder how web designers can stay in business? With hosting companies offering easy to customize website templates and WordPress being so very easy to use and customize, how is it that there is any work for a web designer? One reason is that savvy Web designers offer a number of “extras” you just can’t get on your own.

In today’s market, savvy web designers know that offering benefit to potential customers is the key to finding work. A web designer can add to their list of services by including:

* SEO services - Many web designers are also knowledgeable about search engine optimization. This can be extremely helpful if you’re building an internet business. Clients can count on them to not only design their website with their audience in mind but also to take those important initial steps to optimize it for the search engines. A web designer can become more of a consultant than just a service provider.

* Graphic design - Being able to go to one location for a website design that includes a logo, a custom header, and other graphic elements makes building an internet business just a bit easier.

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* Connections - When someone needs a website designed and created they also often need a host of other services including writers, administrative help and so on. A website designer who can offer a list of resources and providers they’ve worked with and can recommend is a great help to a new or experienced business owner.

* Speed and experience - While creating a website may be something many people can handle on their own, the truth of the matter is that speed and experience are a great asset and worth paying for. People are busy and don’t have the time to wade through the experience of building their own website. The learning curve may be steep for them or they just may want to spend their time on things they do well. It’s why most of us don’t change the oil in our cars or even tend to our own lawns. It’s not difficult, it’s just that there are other things we’d rather do and it’s worth it to pay for the expertise.

Additionally, while many people can create their own website, they may doubt their skills and ability to do so. Being able to pay a professional takes the pressure off them. They can rest easy knowing their website will be the best it can be.

As a web designer, offering a few extra services, being a consultant to your clients rather than just a service provider and making it easy for your clients to sit back and relax knowing they’re receiving a good product, is how you stay in business. It’s a lesson many service providers can learn and apply to their own business.

To your success,

Sherley

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Web Design Tips - Learn How Website Audio Motivates Purchases

Website Audio

When it comes to adding content to your website, consider using audio as an additional content and communication strategy. Audio not only broadens your product offerings and marketing tools, it can also motivate purchases.
 
# Liking - One of your biggest assets as the owner of a small business is your personality, and audio makes it extremely easy to communicate that personality to your audience. If people like you, and we’re assuming they do, then they’re more likely to purchase from you. You can use audio messages to connect with your audience and influence liking. Even a simple welcome message is a great start.

# Authority - People buy from people or companies they consider to be an authority in their industry. Audio is an exceptional tool for you to use to demonstrate your authority on your niche topic. How to audio messages, interviews and lessons are all tools to demonstrate authority.

# Social Proof - We often make purchasing decisions based on the opinions of others, particularly if those “others” are people we respect, admire, or want to be like. You can tap into this social proof trigger by interviewing an expert or posting audio testimonials on your website.

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How to Use Audio on Your Website

We’ve already touched on a few ways you can use audio on your website to influence buying triggers. There are essentially two paths you can take – you can use audio as a product in your catalog or as a marketing tool.

Product Creation – Audio lends itself to many profitable products which you can sell or give away as a thank you or bonus, for example:

* Email training courses, workshops, and seminars 
* Tutorials 
* Podcasts 
* Guest interviews 

Marketing Tools – Many of the above items, which are mentioned as products, can also be used as marketing tools when they’re given away as freebies or thank yous. In addition to the above, here are some other possibilities for using audio in your marketing strategy:

* Product reviews 
* Personal message 
* Sales content 
* Viral marketing 
* Testimonials
* Advertisements 

Audio lends itself to a whole new audience which of course is good for you because the more followers you have, the better. When creating your content strategy or looking to the future, begin using audio in your product catalog and to market your business. Then watch your business grow.

Sherley

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Web Design Tips - Nine Ways To Improve Your Website Credibility

Web Design - Website Credibility

When it comes to convincing or motivating purchases you can’t go wrong with credibility. When you’re believable and trustworthy, people will trust you and be more inclined to make a purchase. Because you’re an internet entrepreneur, your website has to do much of the talking for you – your website has to demonstrate credibility.

How to improve your website credibility:

#1  Cut the hype. Make sure the claims and promises you make are backed up by evidence. Evidence can be in the form of testimonials, raw data, facts and statistics or reviews. Always back up your promises and claims and if you can’t back them up, don’t make them. Consumers are too savvy to buy into it.

#2  Testimonials, reviews, and endorsements. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have an endorsement on your website from the leading personality in your industry? Imagine if you were in the crafting industry and Martha Stewart herself put her name and endorsement on your products, you’d be rolling in the dough.

So how do you get testimonials, reviews and endorsements to put on your website?  Well sometimes customers are so pleased with your products or services that they happily offer them up, however most of the time you’re going to have to ask for them. Send an email or pick up the phone and talk to customers who you know had a positive experience.


#3  Make your website look professional. Being an experienced online surfer I’m sure you can quickly recognize a website that’s just trying to grab a few bucks versus one that has time, effort and professional attention put into it. Make sure your website is easy on the eyes, easy to navigate and looks and feels professional.


#4  Update your content frequently. Ever visit a blog and it’s been a month or more since any content has been posted?  That’s a sure sign that the business owner has dropped the ball. Even regurgitating posts is better than nothing however a stream of valuable and relevant content is a great way to improve your website credibility.

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#5  Represent, promote and endorse credible products, services and companies. If you are an affiliate marketer, information marketer or have partnered with someone, make sure everyone you represent reflects the image you want to portray. One unethical business partner can pull you down.

#6  Join an association or organization or win an award. We love to see stamps of approval and online there are a number of options. Simply joining an organization in your industry and placing that organizations logo on your website with a “Member of….” will help boost your credibility.


#7  Be present. Make sure you have a presence on your website. That means an about us page, contact information, and any information or background you can list that adds to your online credibility the better. If you’ve studied with an expert, taken a course, won an award, have years of experience or have helped someone accomplish something relevant to your niche, share it. People want to know there’s a real live person behind the website.


#8  Pay attention to detail. Typos, grammar errors, spelling errors, misaligned formatting and broken links all give the appearance of sloppiness and detract from your credibility. Users are aware that mistakes happen and don’t judge too harshly however the fewer mistakes you have, the better.


#9  Don’t make your website look like a walking advertisement or a billboard at the back of a coffee shop covered with banner ads and classified ads. Advertising is expected and often appreciated on a website however it can’t be the main focus.

Credibility is earned through hard work, dedication and an attention to detail.  When you start with the right mindset and intentions, it’ll show through your website and your customers and visitors will recognize you for the outstanding expert you are.

To your success,

Sherley

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Web Design Tips - How To Create a Great Landing Page with Eye-Catching Graphic Designs

Web Design - Landing Page

Your website is the first impression your visitors have of you. Like a book cover, your website has about 20 or so seconds to capture their attention or they’ll click away. Great landing page design with the right eye-catching graphic design elements can pull your visitors into your site.

The elements of graphic design include:

* Shapes
* Lines
* Color
* Type
* Images
* Texture
* Balance

They all need to work together to create an overall appealing page. Balance for example would be offset if you have a large image or logo in the upper right hand corner of your page and no graphics or design elements on the left hand side of the page. They don’t have to be symmetrical to be balanced.

Each of the elements of graphic design can be integrated into your web design. For example, shapes, color, type or font and texture can all be used in the design of your logo. They can all be integrated into your header.

The focus of your website design should be to support your content, not to detract from it. Flash and other graphic images should always support your content.

Your Headline and call to action are actually design elements too. They will have color and type that will draw attention to them in a manner that appeals to your audience.

Your opt in box is another design element to pay attention to. Make sure your opt in box has a background color that makes the it noticeable. You want to draw your visitor’s eye to it.

Images and photos. Images and photos can really bring your website landing page to life. There are two keys to remember, the first is that your website must load quickly which means your image files need to be small around 30KB per image or less, while still retaining medium to high quality.

The second key is that the image has to have a purpose. Is it there to evoke emotion?  Is it there to demonstrate how to use a product?  What is the purpose of the photo or image?  For example, you may want to put your own picture on your landing page to help people relate to you and to build your brand.

Use design elements to help brand your business and to draw readers into your site like a good book cover will draw a reader to flip the book over and read the back cover. Your website design alone won’t usually sell products or services but it will motivate your visitors to read your content and that’s the first step to lasting success and a powerful landing page design.

Web Design Tips - Does Your Website Need a Makeover?

Web Design - Website Makeover

Websites, like any marketing materials and business processes, needs to keep up with the times. Whether that means tweaking your website from time to time to keep it up to date or completely redoing it, is a decision that can only be made by you. Here are some questions to help you decide if it’s time.

1. When was the last time you updated your website design or functionality? If it’s been more than a year since you’ve done anything to your website other than add content, then it’s probably time to at least give your website a few touch-ups.
                
2. Does your website design still accurately reflect your company personality, brand, vision and mission? Businesses change and grow and you can easily outgrow your website design. If it no longer represents who you are and where you’re going as a business, it’s time for a makeover.

3. Is your website able to accomplish all that you need it to accomplish? Old platforms may not be able to handle all of the functions and features you’d like to offer your audience. For example, maybe you want to be able to offer a paid membership option. 

4. Have you re-branded your business? If you’ve rebranded your business then your website most certainly needs an update.

5. Is your website poised to handle the future? If your website already has a retro look and feel, it may not be ready for what the future has in store. A touch-up now may prevent you from having to do a complete overhaul in the near future. 

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What you can do to spruce up your website

* Upgrade or fix the navigation. Navigation, or how your users are able to get around on your website, is essential to them staying on your site and revisiting it. If things are difficult to find, you can bet impatient website visitors will not stay. Navigation is an important function and is a good way to update your website.

* Design. When people think of makeover this is what often comes to mind and yes, you can change or update your colors, design, layout, logo, and graphics to give your website a fresh look and feel.

* Search engine optimization. Hopefully you’ve been updating your keywords and SEO tactics as your business grows and your audience changes. Internet users have become significantly savvier when they search and it’s important to keep up with the trends. This is more of a behind-the-scenes makeover and can be handled by a SEO professional or by you or an educated administrative assistant.

* Functions and features. Today’s prospect likes to interact online and that means offering web 2.0 features and functions.  Most often this doesn’t require a complete overhaul but rather adding some user-friendly items to an already existing site. However, if your platform hasn’t been updated in a long time, you may need to upgrade to stay current.

To stay competitive, it’s important to assess your website on a regular basis. Every six months to a year is a good idea to keep things fresh, innovative and interesting to your audience.

To your success,

Sherley

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Web Design Tips - Make Your Website a 24-Hour Sales Engine

 Unlike the traditional business model, an online business gives you 24-hour presence which anyone from around the world can access.

This is an exciting and fantastic opportunity for business owners who know how to make the most of this powerful sales engine.

Here are a few tips to help you create a website that really sells:

#1 – Keep it simple. A great website doesn’t have to include tons of graphics or flash images; in fact, this can work against you. A website with clean lines that’s easy to read and navigate will usually have a better conversion rate. Your visitors aren’t really interested in all the bells and whistles - what really matters most to them are the answers you have to their problems. You can achieve this by offering genuine great information.

Avoid music, flashing images and too many graphics. A few well thought out graphics can enhance the look of your website but anything else may be confusing and look too “busy” to your visitor. If in doubt keep it simple, and let your words shine.

#2 – Content is king. Great content solves problems and offers solutions. When people search on the internet they’re looking for information first and foremost. If your website offers solid information, people are more likely to visit you again and trust your product recommendations too. Quality content will also attract the search engines and you’ll stand a better chance at achieving that all-important top ten ranking for your keyword phrases.

Always concentrate on creating value through quality content, and you’ll build a business that will pay you back for years to come. You really can’t go wrong with providing good content.

#3 – Get their information. Even with a great website it’s likely that your visitors won’t buy from you the first time around. It takes time to build confidence and trust on the internet. This is why it’s important that you have a method of collecting their name and contact information when they first land on your site. You can then communicate with them through emails and start to build a relationship which will bring them back to your website.

To get the highest number of subscribers, place an opt-in box in a prominent position on the home page of your website. But don’t stop there; make sure the opt-in box is prevalent throughout the site so that visitors can access it from any page. Include a catchy headline to draw their attention to the area.

And don’t forget to give your visitors an incentive for signing up. People really don’t give their names and email addresses out as freely as they once did due to the high levels of spam on the internet. Give them an incentive to sign up by offering a free report or other great offer.

Building a great website is not difficult. Always think about your visitors first and help them by providing a website that’s clean and easy to navigate. Then add great content as a solution to their problems, and finally get their information so that you can keep helping them further in the future. Concentrate on these three basics and you’ll design a website that truly is a 24-hour sales engine.

Online Public Relations - How to Write a Press Release

Content is a website owners single best tool to attract traffic, customers, and believe it or not, media attention.  Of course writing content that speaks to journalists takes a little know how but if you know how to write attention grabbing content for your customers, you’re halfway there.  Here are a few tips and strategies to write Publicity-Friendly Content.

#1  Make sure your content is easy to read.  This goes without saying for online content.  Your point must be clear and your content formatted so it’s easy to read online.  That means headings and subheadings with clear points and bullets or lists because the truth is, people, journalists included, tend to scan rather than read online. 

#2  When possible integrate graphics and data to support the information in your article and quote sources responsibly. 

#3  Make sure author name and even a short bio are part of your article.  And if possible include a link to your contact or "about us" page so journalists don’t have to spend any extra time hunting on your site for the information they need.

#4  Make your content newsworthy.  Make sure your publicity friendly content has a point and the point is relevant and newsworthy.  For example, an article about house training a dog may not be newsworthy though your prospects may be drawn to your site to access that information. 

However, if your article is about the rise in homeless animals and the need for more adoption, which could then lead into information about house training a new dog or link to an article on housebreaking a dog then you’re fulfilling the needs of journalists and your audience at the same time.

#5  Share knowledge about your industry.  Journalists respect and flock to experts in a particular industry and if your website is consistently leading with information and discussing the latest industry news you stand a great chance of becoming their go-to person.

#6  Make your headline SEO friendly AND grabs attention.  Journalists use the search engine too so make sure your content is search engine friendly.  In addition, you also want to make sure your headline accomplishes its goal, which is to motivate people to read the rest of the article.

#7  Finally, make sure you have a media page on your website with photos, bios and contact information.  You may also want to post links to press releases and other company news on your media page.  If you have great publicity friendly content but forget your media page, then you could be losing valuable opportunities.

When designing your content strategy for the next quarter or year, make sure to include regular publicity friendly content, it can work quite well to attract media attention while at the same time add credibility to your website and still help draw traffic from prospects and customers.

Website Design - How to Build a Great Website

It seems like everyone and their mother (and grandmother!) has a website these days.  That’s why it’s important to be able to build a quality website to help promote your business and sell your products.  Here are ten quick tips to help even a novice build a quality site.

1.  Know your audience.  If you watch the latest hot cartoon and then watch reruns of shows from the 60s, you’re probably going to see not only commercials for different products, but they’re going to be totally different styles.  In the same way, a website whose audience is older shouldn’t have things that will appeal to teens or a younger generation. Knowing your audience is the first step to meeting their needs.

2.  Keep it simple.  Simple websites are not only easier to navigate, they also load faster so your customers don’t get frustrated waiting to find what they’re looking for.

3.  Ask for feedback.  Always have a way for your users to send you feedback.  This will help you make changes your customers want to keep them coming back, and even recommend you to their friends.  You can put feedback boxes or questions on different pages, or you can add a message board with a feedback section.

4.  Don’t branch out too much.  It's best to focus your website on one area or product.  If you offer several different products or types of products, you need to have several websites to promote them so visitors aren’t bombarded with things they don’t want.

5.  Be consistent.  Make each page the same format, font, color, etc to keep visitors from getting confused at where to find what they’re looking for. 

6.  Be readable.  Not only do you need a font that’s readable and colors that don’t hurt the eyes, but it’s also extremely beneficial to have correct spelling and grammar.  Customers aren’t likely to stick around if they think you’re lazy or don’t know what you’re talking about.

7.  Add RSS feed.  Many people keep themselves updated by using RSS feeds instead of checking websites constantly.  By adding a RSS feed, you can not only catch these users, you can also tailor feeds specifically for their interests.

8.  Keep it current.  Besides the danger of having out-of-date information, pages that are updated more often get visited more often, and give you a better chance of keeping more customers. 

9.  Make things easy to find.  Everyone wants things fast, and adding a search box or an easy site map will help them find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. 

10.  Have fun.  Ultimately, if you do everything right, but your site is just like every other well-made site, you still may not be able to make money off it.  Your site needs to have something unique that reflects who you are and what you can provide.

Website Design - How to Choose the Right Domain Name

 When it comes to building a website, your domain name could make it or break it.  A catchy domain name can help people remember who you are and easily find you to give them what they’re looking for.  By contrast, a bad domain name can make your website hard to find, so they’ll find someone else or give up trying.  Here are some quick and easy tips to help you pick the name that’s best for you.

Here are some do’s to remember when picking your name:

-  Make it easy to remember.  If people remember a website, they’re more likely to go to it.  Our brains process tons of information in a day, and most of it we forget.  Just because someone’s friend tells them about a great website, doesn’t mean they’re going to remember the name when they get home to check it out.

-  Make it related to your industry.  When you start choosing your domain name, the best place to start is with a few keywords related to your topic.  Take these keywords and try to turn them into a name.  While you might be able to find an awesome catchy word or phrase, if it’s not related to your topic, people aren’t going to remember it.

- Make it easy to type.  There are certain letters that are just harder to type than others.  While it may not make the biggest difference, try to avoid letters like q and p.  And avoid a difficult combination.  If it doubt, have a friend who isn’t the best typist try to get to the sites.  If one takes a lot longer or is harder for them, it’s probably best to throw out that option. 

Domain name don’ts - try to avoid these common domain name mistakes:

- Names that are hard to spell. 

- Misspellings. If you misspell a common word, people are probably not going to spell your domain name right.  Correct spellings are easier to remember.  If they don’t get it on the first try, they may try again, but more likely they’ll either find another site with the correct spelling, or simply give up.

- Names including numbers.  While it might be clever, it’s hard for people to remember, and it’s hard to spread the site name by word of mouth. 

- Names that are too close to a popular website.  Sure, you might get the traffic from misspellings, but that’s not going to be enough to sustain a quality website.   

If you’re stuck finding a good name, try going to a site that sells domain names and entering your keywords.  Often, sites will help you find related names that are available.  And that way, you don’t have to worry about trying to buy a name that is already taken from someone who doesn’t want to give it up.

Web Design: Good Content is Still King

 

 It used to be that if you wanted to make money on the Internet, you could create web pages that were simply links and ads and, if you knew enough about search engine optimization, you'd make money.  If you're like me, you really hated it when you found these pages and immediately hit the back button to find a new page.  After a while, popular search engines created programs to find and weed out these sorts of sites.  After that, content became more and more important.  
 
Good content is not only important to get to the top of Internet searches, it's also important to help make you money once people get to your website.  If they show up and find bad or no content, they'll probably be like me and just leave before they can click on links or buy any products.  They figure if your website isn't high quality, neither is anything they can find there.  Good content helps them stick around longer and builds faith in the quality of your site.
 
Quality content is also important for getting links to your site.  You can submit your content to article archives.  People then use your content, which includes a link to your site.  This raises your search engine rankings.  Quality content also gets people talking about you, whether it's on blogs or their own Website.

So, what is good content?  Good content should be written specifically for your target audience.  If your customers are newcomers to the Internet, you don't want to use technical jargon that they won't understand.  Similarly, if you are marketing to seasoned businessmen, you want to use more specific terms and ideas so they view you as a reliable source of information.
 
It may seem obvious, but good content should be well written.  You may be able to get a good price on content from various sites, but that doesn't mean the product is worth it.  Many people offer content that is great for search engines with high keyword use, but if it's not readable, people aren't going to stick around your website very long and you're probably not going to make much money from it. Plus, you're probably not going to be able to get anyone else to post your content and link back to you. 
 
Many Internet marketers focus on keyword density when looking for content.  They require a certain quantity of the words they want to be search engine keywords.  While this can work, the problem is that when you try to use specific words so many times it becomes repetitive and lowers the quality of the writing.  Good content writers can deliver articles that use the words enough just by writing an article on a specific topic.  If you have quality writers, you don't need to worry about keyword use.  
 
It helps you if your content is original.  There are hundreds of services out there that will give you great content to post on your website for free, as long as you don't change it.  This is great for them because it generally contains a link back to their site and boosts their search engine rankings.  It helps you out because it gives you content; however, if the content is all over the Internet, it's not going to do you much good in getting yourself high on the search engine lists.

It may take you a while to find quality writers, or to learn to write yourself, but after you do you will quickly see the benefits.