The importance of authoritative content on websites becomes even more critical to site publishers during the holiday season.
Useful information discovered by consumers during their online browsing may be the key to keeping them as converting customers.
Site publishers have known of the necessity of quality content for their websites for some time. Without it, people will skip away to another destination as quickly as they can hit the Back button.
Webmasters who haven’t picked up on this trend as a reason to drive improved copy for their sites should note the recent survey by web marketing syndicator WebCollage. Their 2007 Survey of Online Consumer Product Research Habits found that people want complete product information.
When it isn’t present, those visitors tend to go in search of a site that does have it available. The survey found that two-thirds of respondents considered detailed product benefits and capabilities as the most useful information they can find online.
Some 37 percent of frustrated visitors will go to a competing retail site to find the details they want. 55 percent will head to a manufacturer’s site, as they believe the best product information about an item will be there.
Sites that run as small operations may not have the staff needed to obtain the best information and write it up as product copy. But the investment in that effort may pay off in better conversions and repeat customers.