The first rule of website club is: talk like a person. When creating content for your website, many companies make the common mistake of writing content filled with “industry jargon” only people in the same industry understand. Instead, using the words and phrases your customers use is a far better strategy. In other words, don’t write to yourself, write to your customers.

If you can only afford investing your time and the money in one marketing tool, make it your website. To make the investment payoff, there are a few basic elements your customers expect to see. While exceptions always exist, providing the following features on your website helps ensure a more positive experience for visitors.

If you’re going to invest your time and money into a single marketing tool, your website is the place. Whether someone on your team manages it, an outside agency keeps it regularly updated and fresh, or it’s something you tackle when you have free time, it’s critical to make sure your website serves your needs—and, most importantly, serves the needs of your customers.

I was part of a recent panel discussion at the EDGEucational Forum talking about how young professionals can step up their networking game.