Today’s internet is busier than ever before! Some statistics estimate that there are over 2 billion active websites… yep, that’s BILLION.
With all of those websites vying for the attention of web surfers, it’s important to differentiate yourself based on your industry and your target audience.
If your goal is to generate new leads for your business via the internet, quite often it just isn’t good enough to have a company website.
Why?
Well, having a well developed, content-rich, modern website is a “must” for most businesses these days, it may require an entirely different “animal” to convert your web visitors into new clients.
Here’s Why You May Need an Authority Site…
Internet users have become more and more savvy, and they are fully aware of the abundance of information available on almost any topic. They understand that they can gather bits and pieces of data from a multitude of different websites in order to fully research anything they want. That’s great for the consumer, but a big challenge for the business owner!
While your company website might provide a general overview of the services you provide, rarely will it provide in-depth information and answer all questions.
At one time, that was actually the strategy… give people basic information to capture their interest, and then have them call or contact you for more. But more often than not, that strategy fails to convert a website visitor to a prospect who contacts your office or schedules an appointment. Instead, it just chases the visitor away, in search of the information that they could not find on your company site!
Today, in addition to company websites, “Authority Sites” have risen in popularity and necessity. An Authority Site is designed to answer internet users’ queries, provide valuable content, and serve as a consistent resource on a very detailed topic. These websites are more comprehensive and provide a greater depth of information for the visitor. They tend to become recognized as a dependable authority on their subject matter.
They take more time and effort to create, but they also do a far better job of establishing your “authority” in a particular industry. Thus, they built more trust, rapport, and credibility between you and the visitor.
Once a website has achieved this level of recognition, it can be leveraged in a number of ways that benefit both the user and the publisher.
The Benefits of Building an Authority Site Include:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is much easier, because Google and other search engines naturally rank them more highly. So you do less work over the long run in order to attract traffic to your site.
- When users find a website relevant and helpful, they share it with others who have the same questions.
- The goal of your site is so clearly defined that building them can actually be easier.
- Because both internet users and search engines prefer them, authority sites hold more value over the long term.
- Adsense frequently bans the accounts of websites that appear intentionally created to simply exploit ad revenue. This is unlikely to happen with an authority site, because it provides real value to internet users.
- Links will tend to “stick”, because others recognize that the link is relevant and valuable.
- HIgh-quality sites earn more organic links. Hardly anyone links to cheap, niche websites.
- The creator gains the satisfaction of knowing they’re providing real value.
The end goal of creating an Authority Site is to become a “go-to” source for information on a specific topic. We do this by providing properly researched, relevant, and up-to-date information, and then arranging that information so that the site is easily navigable for the average user. Once the user feels satisfied at the accuracy and value of the information provided, they return time and again. They also refer others to the website, so traffic grows organically and high-quality leads are easily attracted to the site.
From there, the creator can leverage the website for a number of purposes, from lead generation to advertising and referrals. An Authority Site can generate passive income through advertising or be harnessed to boost online marketing efforts.
Obviously, a different strategy is needed to build an Authority Site than you would use when building your company website, and it’s important to understand the difference.
In upcoming articles, we will discuss building and maintaining an authority website in more detail… For now, if you have questions, contact us and we’ll discuss how an Authority Site can be a valuable addition to your digital toolbox.
