2009 was a challenging year economically. While many businesses suffered the results of a downturn in sales, few sought to fight back with increased expenditure on the very tactics that could help propel them through the tough times. Ironically, marketing and communications budgets are often the first to get cut when companies actually need them the most.

Web content in 2009 seems to have weathered the storm of the economic downturn and, in fact, is poised to only increase in popularity in 2010. A comparatively inexpensive investment relative to the overall cost of developing or redeveloping a company website, organizations are slowly starting to recognize the inherent value of web content as a business asset.

After all, a recession-proof strategy for most websites typically includes one which increases traffic, yields higher conversions, builds stronger relationships and creates a more positive experience online – all direct functions of a successful web content strategy and web content writing.

However, just because the virtues of web content are inherent for “fixing” many of the problems associated with websites today does not mean that content alone is a blanket solution for every aspect of the business.

Sure, keywords can drive traffic, messaging can position product, and calls to action can encourage sales – but it’s ultimately the core offline business decisions that will have the greatest influence on success. It’s easy to get caught up in the expectation of what a website can do rather than what it can realistically deliver.

I have had a number of clients with a local client base reach the saturation point for what their SEO can accomplish. It stands to reason that once all of your existing customers are referencing your web content, and the number of people who need your services out of a base population are already connecting with your site through search engines and directory listings – - you may not be able to tap any further into the lead generation pool.

When this happens, it’s time to get back to the basics of Business 101: Are you charging more than what the current market will bear? Are there ways to add value to your products/services? What online tools or content can be included that might increase customer service, or provide information above and beyond what the competition delivers?

There’s no doubt about it, in this age of information the organizations who fail to recognize the value of web content are those who are failing to capitalize on one of their company’s biggest assets. However, companies who also over-value content as a solution to all of their business problems risk missing opportunities to generate sales/leads/relationships in novel ways both on and offline. As with everything in life – balance is key.