If you’re having trouble getting the results out of your online marketing efforts that you’d like to see, it might be time for you to make a realistic assessment of what you’re offering people who come to your website. The effectiveness of your online marketing is going to be almost completely determined by how much of a resource you’re actually providing. Take a look at the following qualities of your content and see if it measures up.

Would You Link to It?

This is a very easy test. Read some of your content. Would you put a link to that content on your own website? Is it useful? Is it authoritative? If it doesn’t pass these simple measures of quality, you may want to revamp your content. If creating good content is a challenge for you – and don’t be embarrassed if it is, not everyone is a writer – consider having your content professionally written or rewritten. This will make it into more of a resource for people.

Is It True?

This is a question that you must be very honest with yourself when you answer. Is the content on your website true? There is always something of a gray area where marketing content is concerned. After all, nothing really goes better with Coke. Remember, however, that that very famous marketing statement is actually completely subjective. The company isn’t saying anything that’s untrue, they’re merely saying something that is subjective in its nature. Make certain that any objective claims you make in your advertising copy are verifiable as being true. If you’re selling a video card and claim that it has the fastest 3-D rendering around, that better be true if it’s on your website.

Is It Fun?

This is something that marketers tend to miss. It should be enjoyable to read your marketing content. Think of it this way, imagine that you go into a store that sells electronics and you meet two salespeople. One of the salespeople tries to work you over with a hard sell that, in very short order, gets on your nerves and makes you want to shop somewhere else. The other salesperson approaches you with an attitude defined by wanting to give you good customer service, to make sure that you get what will serve your needs the best and to make certain that you feel like you get a good value for your money. Which salesperson will make shopping more fun and which would you buy from? If it’s no fun to read your copy, nobody’s going to read it; guaranteed.