You'll likely agree that the best answer to this question is "both"!
This is true, yet many websites and social media postings fail in one of these aspects. In fact, sometimes both! A senior marketing agency executive was once interviewed, and he bemoaned the fact that many people made great presentations to him, but because of his senior position, were reluctant to then try and close the deal. "With me", he said, "I'm afraid that if you don't ask, you don't get".
The same attitude is often present in the minds of those people who click through from a search to a specific landing page or website. Yes, they are keen to appreciate what your product or service can achieve for them, but this doesn't mean that they will make a unilateral decision to buy. The result is that your attempts to gain the best-possible website conversion rate optimisation are being hampered by this lack of closure.
When describing your products and services, look to attach this description to an action. A simple example: "This printer provides crystal clear copies" can become "Order your xxxx printer today, and you'll soon be admiring the crystal clear quality of every page it produces for you". You might take it a step further: "Order your printer here and now…" and then embed the relevant link. A positive statement about this product has now morphed into a chance to gain an instant sale.
For some websites, the "selling" part might not be the purchase of an actual product, it might simply be to provide an opportunity to make personal contact with the visitor. The process remains the same; marrying a benefit that can be gained with an action to be taken. Example: "Our cloud-based storage system keeps your files truly secure" could change to "Call our experienced team on (number) and we'll explain how our cloud-based storage system is both secure and instantly accessible".
From the above, it's clear that, when undertaking content marketing activities for your business, it pays to take a little time to match the key pluses of your product or service with a way for the person who has made the search to be induced into taking action. Content shouldn't simply interest, it should actively involve!
