The most important factor in making money online is the content you provide. A good content creation strategy can help you reach your goals faster and easier. Follow these steps to creating content that will make your website a success.
Choose Your Broad Topic
How do you know what to make your website about? You will spend a lot of time and effort to get your content online, so you want to make sure you have enough interest in it to do the work. Do you have a hobby you are an expert in? Are there any subjects you are researching for your own life right now? Do you have any insider information you can share – like first hand experience or local research?
Large topics like PARENTING offer a lot of opportunities, but also a lot of potential. Can you share your own experiences relating to your teen? Or do you belong to a group with special parenting challenges, like home schooling parents, or parents of gifted children?
Research and Analysis to Discover Your Niche
Before you start writing, take a look at what is already online. Think of it like a conversation – what do you have to add? The key to making your website a success is to bring something unique. Are there gaps you can fill, or a different point of view you can offer?
Creating Your Content
You will need to create at least 30posts of at least 300 words on the topic of your choice. You may want to sit down and start writing before you jump in and purchase a domain name or design your website. Can you really write 10,000 words about this topic? And while you are writing you may come across new ideas for a niche, or discover the perfect name for your website. Consider this a first draft. Don’t try to edit as you write, but allow yourself to be creative and brainstorm as you go. You can edit and organize it after you hit your word count.
Content is not limited to writing. You will also want to consider images, videos, and other tools that your readers may find interesting. The more original this additional content, the better your chances for success. Can you take your own photos? Create some videos? Are there any worksheets/spreadsheets or other tools that are useful for your topic? And also what products can you recommend to your readers?
Branding is Part of Content Creation
Once you have a start on your content it’s time to start thinking about branding. Your branding will include your website name, domain name, and ideas about color and design: logos, fonts, etc. Try not to get too stressed about “the right” brand. Your content is what will make your website work – even nonsense names, like Google, can become what you make them. Using your main topic in your name can help later with SEO – so it will make your job a little easier if you can incorporate the topic in your name.
Putting Your Website Online
Now that you have some of the raw materials to work with – how do you get your website online? Most websites do not need extra fancy tech to work. If you have ideas about online tools – like comparing prices or insurance quotes – or you have a large catalog of items to sell – then you may need more specialized tools. For most websites you can get started with a website builder like the one offered for free when you host with GoDaddy (but it’s limited to ## pages, so you will have to move your site if it gets bigger than that. A basic business site might not need more than ## pages, but for a blog or larger information site you will want something that can grow with you. WordPress is the most popular choice for bloggers.
- How to host a WordPress website for free.
- How to host a Joomla website for free.
- How to host a Drupal website for free.
Best Content Creation Strategy: Website or Blog?
A blog is a special kind of website that organizes your content in reverse date order. A typical website has a different structure and is more appropriate for “evergreen” content – or information that is not highly date-specific. In WordPress blogs are created by adding posts, and traditional websites by adding pages. You can make money with either format, so let your subject dictate which you choose.
Organizing Your Content
Your next task is to organize your content into pages or posts and then to edit your posts so that they are easy to read. Your website visitors will be more interested in your content if they can scan it to get an idea of what you are offering. Use sub-headings and lists to make it easier for them to find the answers they are looking for. Break your content up into pages of 900-1500 words or more, or posts of 300-500 words. It’s often better to have short and specific posts that will rank high for “long-tail keywords” than to try to put everything on one long page. A few long pages on your blog are good though – to add authority to your site.
Content Creation to Keep Your Website Fresh
Initially, you want your website or blog to have about 30 pages or 10,000 words. This is enough information to get started, but you will want to add new things and keep growing your website as time goes by. You may add something once or twice a week or once a month to maintain your website. Keep an eye out for trends in your topic and be sure to write about anything new. You may add reviews or recommendations. With a blog of this size you may be able to find guest authors who will contribute new content for the chance to introduce themselves to your readers. Keep an eye out for questions people are asking and answer them when you can.
