Content, as the name implies, is the information stored on and delivered by a web site. Without content, there is little reason to own or visit a site. However, not all content is useful or even interesting and deciding what information to include and what to ignore is a fine balancing act. Too much and it will probably never be read and too little leaves the reader wanting more.

A question often asked by customers is what information and how much content should be included in a web site. Unfortunately, this is not a straightforward question and the answer is dependent on various factors.

• Market: What market is the web site aimed at?
  SME, Corporate, the public, young, mature, etc?
• Purpose: What are the business reasons for having a web site?
  Company brochure, e-commerce, product list, all my competitors have one, etc?
• Goals: What does the business want to achieve?
  Brand awareness, increased sales, contact point, web application, etc?
• Visitors: Why will people want to visit your site
  Unique service, specialist information, business awareness, product price, etc?
• Existing Business: Will the site be integrated into existing business processes?
  Will existing customers look to your web site to do business?
• Web site 'Stickiness': Jargon, meaning how do I encourage people to return to our web site again and again.

Consideration of the above factors along with defined requirements and detailed business knowledge will provide you with a basic outline of the content you should be aiming to provide.