The apartment is dim except the light from the laptop as slender fingers move deftly over the keyboard. The window to her right is open slightly and the noise of the city is welcomed in the midst of the previously silent room.

A quick trip through the favorites and an online station begins playing music while she strolls to her favorite search engine and enters a search term for a line of cosmetics she saw in the mall.

The list of sites that carry the product is impressive so she clicks on the first site as she hums along to a song she’s heard dozens of times. She can’t quite find what she needs so she double clicks the back button and begins looking for another site. She breezes through a few more sites before she lands on one that has some articles that deal with the product.

“Here we go,” she says as she repositions herself on the couch and studies the information. She reads testimonials and practical use data. She finds out some of the reasons why this product is different than most other available cosmetics. She’s happy with what she sees.

She picks up her cell phone and calls her best friend. She tells her friend about the cosmetic they had seen in the mall and what she had found out. At the end of the conversation she cuts and pastes a link to the site in an email and sends it off. Her friend is interested too.

Similar scenarios happen virtually every minute of the day. People want to know how much you know about the product you are selling. If they can’t find the information on your website it’s just a few clicks and they are on to the next site.

These consumers may not intentionally hold it against you, but they will forget you rather quickly if you don’t seem to be able to help them.

Not only is web content important for customer retention, it is also important for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies.

Sometimes those involved in online marketing forget the real people behind the computer monitors who are seeking to access information we can provide. We think of them in terms of sheer numbers. This article was written in an attempt to put a practical picture in the minds of online business owners who are reaching out to the women searching for cosmetics and the parents looking for a specific teething ring for a fussy baby, a teenager looking for t-shirts, the guy who just hasn’t been able to find the right tool, or a mature adult looking for information on retirement investment opportunities.

The Internet can seem very impersonal – don’t forget there is a face behind every order and they not only want your product they want to know everything about your product – and they want to know if they can trust you.

If they can they will likely return and they may bring a few friends. If they can’t they won’t be back.