If you write web content, it may be a mystery to you as to what "works" and what doesn't work. You want people to read what you write, but are they understanding your content or clicking away soon after stopping on your page? If the latter, you stand to lose visitors and, ultimately, sales. Let's take a look at how you can rework your site to one that attracts and keeps visitors.
Know your audience. Unless your site is geared exclusively to the scholarly crowd, gear your words toward a younger audience. Many web content producers know that language understood by 12 and 13 year olds is much more effective for attracting and keeping guests than anything else. This takes into consideration a couple of things: not everyone who visits your site is well versed in English, but they have enough of an understanding to read at a middle school grade level. If your goal is to reach the masses, you must consider a global audience particularly an audience where English is not their native tongue. In addition, unfortunately many Americans are ? to be polite ? lacking in certain abilities when it comes to reading. No need to stand on your platform explaining why it is this way ? it just is.
Speak to your audience. Use "you" when writing. Too much talking about yourself is not very interesting. People want to know what you can do for them. Testimonials, however, can be effective especially if it discusses a problem and the resolution to the problem is shared. Create empathy!
Short and sweet. I already violated this particular principle by writing a lengthy paragraph and by including a long sentence previously. Oh, well...live and learn! Still, many people approach the internet as something to be scanned, not read. So, include plenty of white space and split up your paragraphs. Keep your sentences short too. Mrs. Grimsley, your 8th grade English teacher might not approve, but her students today will!
Use bullets, numbers, or bold. Make what you want to say stand out by bulleting, numbering or "bolding" the beginning of your sentences. In other words, lists work very well on the internet.
Select nice fonts. I love Times New Roman, but it is best used only for print. Instead, use Trebuchet, Arial, and Verdana as they are easier on the eyes. Give your visitors eye strain and they will look away...they will probably miss something too.
Grammar and spelling. Proper use of grammar as well as being careful not to misspell are critical parts to your writing. Do not rely on spell checks and a thesaurus exclusively as they cannot pick up every misused or misapplied word.
Get an opinion. Feedback from others will help determine whether your site is readable, friendly to the eyes, easy to navigate, etc. Don't expect criticism to always be wrapped in niceness; take what is said as constructive criticism and then apply the changes to your site.
If you are new at web content writing, it is likely that it will take some time for you to "get in the flow" of writing web content. Of course, not everyone is able to fully grasp this method, so your best option may be to hire someone who can get the job done for you instead.
Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on just about any and every issue imaginable. You can preview samples from his high performing site at http://www.thearticlewriter.com
The name of the game as far as Internet marketing... Read More
The Whole reason you write those articles is so you... Read More
As an article author, sometimes you can only pull so... Read More
Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?I... Read More
The Most Economical Way to Advertise online is to Submit... Read More
Writers have one basic need -- readers. We all want... Read More
This has to be the number one thing that most... Read More
You've already agreed that putting some of your best articles... Read More
There are many schools of thought on how to build... Read More
The ezine article is of major importance to the world... Read More
I have a confession to make.I think in "articles."As a... Read More
Evaluation of a Home-Run ArticleI've been writing articles and posting... Read More
If you have an entertainment website then you're always looking... Read More
Your publicity dreams may include being featured in Forbes, Fortune,... Read More
Have you ever seen articles that are not only related... Read More
You've got to start somewhere, but once you've created your... Read More
Recently I interviewed Kevin Bidwell of All-In-One-Business.com on some of... Read More
Article Marketing Connects you Directly to Readers Even brilliantly-written articles... Read More
It is not my intention to give you a 5... Read More
Find definitions from H to P... ~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~ Haiku... Read More
Not doing what, you ask.Writing and submitting articles.Writing articles is... Read More
Been reading up on SEO? If so, you know that... Read More
Your author bio is a vital part of your article... Read More
MS: John, you must be one of the most prolific... Read More
You're Invited... Visualize your article going out like a party... Read More
Many online marketers have crowed about the value of writing... Read More
Lets face it people use articles to send traffic to... Read More
A Consultant could be an expert about absolutely anything.Calling yourself... Read More
If you market online, whether it be your own information... Read More
It is amazing to see how much we all still... Read More
If you have writing skills and want to use your... Read More
These 7 Important Elements are your Blueprint to Article Writing... Read More
Writing dozens, hundreds or even thousands of articles and making... Read More
In order to answer the question I've just asked in... Read More
This article is dedicated to those who are afraid to... Read More
If you want to increase the amount of visitors to... Read More
Finding something to write about can be frustrating for all... Read More
So you've decided to market your home-based copywriting business through... Read More
Back when I was in college, I belonged to one... Read More
Not writing articles yet? You really should try it, if... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
One of the most effective (and free!) ways to get... Read More
1. Participate in chat rooms related to your targeted audience.... Read More
Online publishers, ezine subscribers, and Web visitors want short, useful... Read More
Ease of Submission With so many article distribution sites out... Read More
No one can logically argue against the fact that content... Read More
Start by Being QuotableIt's tough to stand out online. With... Read More
Okay, so you're getting a feel for this article marketing... Read More
There's one key rule that every writer should understand before... Read More
1. Participate in chat rooms related to your targeted audience.... Read More
I've been blogging occasionally over the last two months about... Read More
When you create your articles in TextPad format, something like... Read More
Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?I... Read More
A simple technique to increase web site traffic is using... Read More
Speak to an Audience that Reaches across the GlobeAs a... Read More
Writing articles is possibly the best way to generated free... Read More
Last time on "Because your articles suck" ? we discussed... Read More
Have ever wished that there were a formula for crafting... Read More
You may be wondering what persuasive writing has to do... Read More
Writing articles for online newsletters and websites can be a... Read More
Writing articles is one of the most powerful, if not... Read More
For me, to decide to start a home business was... Read More
How is it possible to turn an idea into the... Read More
The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the... Read More
Online PR in the form of website and ezine article... Read More
Article marketing has become very popular of late, especially with... Read More
Article Writing |