© 2008 David M. Freedman, Chicago/Northbrook, IL
847-204-6848 
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Rich Website Content and Optimization

Make your website a trusted resource
that people depend on.

We help with composition, navigation,
and search engine optimization.


Rich content levels the playing field on the Internet. By providing extremely valuable information, insight, guidance, and resources, you demonstrate – rather than merely claim – that you have the expertise and authoritativeness that clients look for.

Rich content offers bottom-line benefits to your visitors. It helps them boost productivity, cut costs, comply with regulations, develop stronger relationships, earn more money, or save time.

The surest way to improve your bottom line is to help your clients improve theirs.

By posting rich content, you prove that you understand and can solve your readers' problems. When they need more information or advice, they're more likely to call you than someone whose website has only self-serving brochure-ware and contact info, even if their site features all the latest high-tech flash, animation, multi-media hoopla, and dynamic XML RSS razzle-dazzle.

Bylines to blogs

Rich content includes articles, newsletters, white papers, success stories, news generated inside your firm (e.g., press releases), news aggregated from or by outside sources (newsfeeds), blogs, and valuable resources (such as directories and useful links). This sort of content demonstrates that you understand your clients’ industries, organizations, careers, goals, needs, and personal pain.

If you publish a newsletter, you can provide a valuable service to your newsletter subscribers and non-subscribers alike: an archive of past newsletter articles, indexed by topic.

You should never simply dump your newsletter content onto your website, without editing and indexing it for online readers.

Reading and writing online
Writing website content is different from writing printed literature. Attention spans are shorter online, so website content should be more concise. Because the web is dynamic and interactive, you have an opportunity to encourage reader response, collaboration, and customization.

David M. Freedman has written website content for professional service firms, including law, accounting, and healthcare practices. He won two Apex Awards for excellence in website content.

Dave led the team that developed, re-designed, and/or created substantial content for the following websites:

Dave collaborates with professional website developers to build full-scale websites that include the following features:

  • Descriptions of your firm's services, practice areas, industry groups, and client served – including success stories
  • Bio's that describe the professional backgrounds and credentials of you and your staff, with optional photos
  • Informative content such as articles, newsletters, answers to frequently asked questions, customized headline news (updated daily), and links to related websites
  • Databases that you can search by multiple variables and keywords, and which allow visitors to customize your site according to their individual needs
  • Password-protected extranets that let you securely post documents for clients' eyes only, as well as collaborate with professionals in remote locations
  • Intranets that are accessible only to partners and other selected staff – or to all employees if you choose
  • Interactive features such as subscription forms, local (internal) search engines, surveys, chat rooms, and bulletin boards
  • e-Commerce features, including shopping carts, that allow clients to pay their bills and purchase products and services from you online

Dave can help you register a domain name (www.your-firm.com), sign up with the appropriate website host, configure your e-mail user profiles, and optimize your content for search-engine visibility.

Dave and his strategic partners also build private wikis, websites that let colleagues collaborate on website content, documents, and media—with no technical expertise.

Please contact Dave Freedman at 847-204-6848 or by e-mail if you would like help launching or improving your website. Thank you very much.


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ARTICLES

Web 2.0 Basics (NEW)
Social media, hyper-syndication, cross-platform content, folksonomy, and “Share this.” What do they mean, and how can you use them for public relations?


Rich Content is King. 13 tips for making your website content easy to navigate and a pleasure to read—and increase the chance that the reader will click through to your Home page. (Originally published in The Value Examiner, Jul/Aug 2007) PDF format

Publishing Your Bylined Articles on Your Website—Not So Fast. The best strategy is to get your article published in a respected periodical first, then "reprint" it on your website. That gives you added authoritativeness and third-party credibility. If that's not possible, here are three rules to follow before posting your manuscript. (Originally published in Professional Marketing, February 2005)

Your Electronic Newsletter Needs a Disclaimer. Your online newsletter is published in every country, whether you like it or not. Protect yourself from claims of foreign trademark and copyright infringement. (Coauthored by attorney Richard Balough)

David M. Freedman: Financial, Legal & Technology Writer