Your site should be much more than just online marketing collateral – in order to stand out in a crowded field, it should be a valuable resource for your current and prospective clients.

An Aura of Authenticity

While such information can be an integrated part of your site, users seem more comfortable if the timely information is an independent, self-contained area. This is often in the form of a blog or a ‘corner’ that your main site can refer to. The tone of this area can be referential, authoritative, or even colloquial, but it should be clear to users that this area is frequently updated and serves as a valuable resource of timely information. The content here should not be overly promotional, but rather neutral and independent in tone.

As a firm with a dominant position in your market sector, it is imperative that you have several channels for meeting the informational needs of your clients. This obligation is expected of any market leader. For instance, a leading veterinary clinic would maintain an online presence for all pet needs for all residents within the service area. A medical clinic would provide the same. A dry cleaner would maintain a business network that answers the common questions of all potential clients. This information is developed and delivered through channels that best meet the needs of clients, whether passively through the web or more actively through delivery mechanisms for e-mail and smartphones.

A Focus on Quality

Search engines are agnostic towards site structure, especially images, Flash, scripting, and video. Hence, the importance of high-quality content is paramount. Poor copy-writing results in content that is difficult for prospective clients and deleterious to search engine algorithms. High-quality content must satisfy both audiences (human and machine) and be constantly updated in order to maintain prominence.