10 Content issues – How to get quality content on your site

Site content is really a combination of inputs. Writers, information standards, and quality controls are all part of the mix. Whether your site is about air conditioners or raising zebras, content defines the site value to users, and that’s where many site owners trip up. Finding and getting quality content is a primary need for all websites, and it’s important to understand how to define and use good content to best effect.


Good content basics
Good content is really defined by the user base. On expert sites, good content is expert level. It has high interest value to users, contains new information, and is often created specifically to address these users. This is quite common on established sites which are both seeking to retain users and to develop their markets.
Good content is also defined very much by presentation. The net is a very visual medium, and turnoffs are easy to find. People gravitate to best quality sites for many reasons, but they steer clear of low quality on principle.
Low quality includes:
• Typos galore
• Illiterate content
• Stale materials
• Low value graphics
• Media quality issues
These things are valueless to users, and they define everything website owners should not do regarding content quality.
Finding good content
There are several ways of getting good quality content, and they’re easy. There are plenty of content providers online, and they’re always looking for business:
• Freelance writers: Expert writers can provide a lot of material for a set rate. It’s easy to budget for this content.
• Advertisers providing articles in return for backlinks: Backlinks are SEO-related, and used to improve search engine rankings. These advertisers also provide good quality materials, using selected writers, and can target your audience very effectively, providing good quality information.
• Online content sources: These include big names like Associated Content, Helium and other major sources. You can see the content quality and buy their materials for a set fee.
• Hiring through outsourcing sites: Elance and others provide writing and content services including web design on a contract basis. They’re useful for specific projects and continuous feeds of new materials.
The big advantage of acquiring content in these ways is developing relationships with people and sites which can provide a steady supply of quality materials. You can also interact effectively to ensure you get the good quality you need.
Talent scouting as a content option
Talent scouting finds content providers with real skill and the ability to deal with complex issues far more effectively. They produce original content, and a lot of it. The content providers in these cases include technical writers, whose standards of materials are high by definition.
In IT, for example, a blog needs a lot of solid content to make any kind of impact on readers. In marketing, to continue the “air conditioners to zebras” analogy, you need someone who can write effectively about ducted air conditioners to make any impression on someone looking through your information about air conditioning systems.
Good content is always available. When you find a source, grab it, and you’ll never look back.