“Web content exists within the context of a task; something the customer wishes to do. By measuring the ability of the customer to quickly and easily complete the task, we measure the quality of the content. Because the better the content the faster and easier the task will be completed.
It will be scary, certainly, to find out whether what we write is actually useful or not. But it’s hugely exciting too. We can now figure out what works and do more of it, and figure out what doesn’t work and stop doing it.”
“We have to measure the outcome on the Web, not the input. What did your content help your customers do? If you can’t answer that question you should seek another career. Because long term there is very little future for the put-it-upper, churn-it-outer, content producer.”
“People like fresh content, new content, living content. they seek it out every day, through their computers and their smart phones. Living content: it’s what people want. And if they can’t get it from you, they will find it elsewhere.”
“People are tired, cynical and skeptical of empty marketing promises. When people see slick images of Hollywood extras with billboard smiles they immediately think: ‘This is marketing. There’s nothing useful here’.”
“It’s time to start treating web content like a valuable asset. You can’t cut and paste your way to web content happiness. To benefit from your content, your company needs to have the right processes in place.”
“Either be super-fake and make believe you’re friendly to everybody, or be completely honest.”
“The purest purpose for content is to help people answer their questions, solve their problems and show that you know how to help them with these things.”
“For an increasing number of tasks, a well-managed website is much better than a human being at helping you get the job done.”
“Traditional marketing and communication is about getting people to do things. Web marketing and communication is about helping people to do things.”
“My position is that the clients are the problem, not the consultants. That’s because they want shortcuts, not hard work. The best SEO is great content. Don’t do that and you don’t get much.”
