by Heather Alvis 7.June 2007 21:17
An important thing small businesses should know when developing new website content is that there is a difference between having a website and having a website that people use. The Internet isn't just an electronic interface on which businesses display their brochures. A website is meant to be interactive and to encourage visitors to take an action.
It is common for clients to develop content for the home page of their website that begins with a version of the "about us" text. Although "about us" content is important to any business website, it doesn't need to be on the very first page. The home page text should be short, to the point and exciting. "Experience Your New Dream Home", "Join Our Community", "Find the Best Here", "Click to Participate"; these are all slogans that invite someone to take action.
Clicking into a site (past the home page) is a great way to increase search engine rankings, but it also gets your visitors involved in your site. So the advice I'm often giving is to really think about the content that you're throwing on your home page. Think about what is going to make people click. Give your readers teasers, photos, or at least something of interest and save the "about" text for the internal pages.