Writing Good Website Content

June 3, 2005, 8:32 pm

Now that you’ve designed your website, what should you put in it?

To provide a reliable and interesting web content is one of the issues website content writers face.

Here are a few tips from Jeniffer Kyrnin of About.com:

1. Write relevant content. It may be tempting to write about your brother’s dog, but if it doesn’t relate to your site or page topic, leave it out. Web readers want information, and unless the page is information about said dog, they really won’t care, even if it is a good metaphor for what you’re trying to say.
2. Put conclusions at the beginning. Think of an inverted pyramid when you write. Get to the point in the first paragraph, then expand upon it.
3. Write only one idea per paragraph. Web pages need to be concise and to-the-point. People don’t read Web pages, they scan them, so having short, meaty paragraphs is better than long rambling ones.
4. Use action words. Tell your readers what to do. Avoid the passive voice. Keep the flow of your pages moving.
5. Use lists instead of paragraphs. Lists are easier to scan than paragraphs, especially if you keep them short.
6. Limit list items to 7 words. Studies have shown that people can only reliably remember 7-10 things at a time. By keeping your list items short, it helps your readers remember them.
7. Write short sentences. Sentences should be as concise as you can make them. Use only the words you need to get the essential information across.
8. Include internal sub-headings. Sub-headings make the text more scannable. Your readers will move to the section of the document that is most useful for them, and internal cues make it easier for them to do this.
9. Make your links part of the copy. Links are another way Web readers scan pages. They stand out from normal text, and provide more cues as to what the page is about.
10. Proofread your work. Make sure you check your content for misplaced quotation marks or wrong spelling and of course, grammatical errors. Any obvious mistakes turn off readers. So you should never, ever forget to proofread any material you will be publishing online.

Good Luck and happy content writing!

Posted by Kai under: Guides

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