10 Online Content Tips
-
What Are Your Goals?
Are you communicating to inform people about your brand, to provide information, or to convince the user to perform an action? Converting users into a sale, a lead, or an advocate of your brand can be different goals. Make sure your content is communicating
-
Who Are You?
The way your site speaks will convey an image to your site’s visitors. Complicated and full of technical terms is not always a good way to go. Often, clear, straightforward text written in a slightly more formal manner than speech is a great start.
-
Do Not Write too Much on a Single Page.
This is something you will not hear from most content writing sources, but the reality is your typical site visitor is looking for an information overview or details on a specific subject. If you need to dive into a subject in depth we recommend creating a new, dedicated page to avoid walls of content.
-
Think Before You Write.
Even the best content will benefit from a well laid out site that highlights points which most visitors will be interested in reviewing. Well-ordered content presented in a way that makes sense within a website that helps to highlight the main points is always the best way to go.
-
Do Not Ignore Grammar, but Do Not Be a Slave to It.
We will never tell you to ignore grammar, but in modern society, the overly strict application of grammar can cause your content to read as ‘hard’ or ‘awkward’. Winston Churchill had a humorous comment on this as well.
-
Writers Love Them, but SAT Words Are Often Over-Rated.
If you need to use a technical term to clearly convey a point, then do so, but content filled with large words is often just harder to read. Rule of Thumb : Use a harder word when you SHOULD use it, not simply when you CAN.
-
Be Positive.
There is already plenty of negativity all around us. People will prefer to work with someone who talks about the benefits of their product or service over someone who focuses on the problems with others.
-
Do Your Homework or Do Not Write About It.
Writing about a subject on your site implies you are an expert, or at least knowledgeable. If you are unsure about a subject a little research, or avoiding it all together can go a long way. Users who see incorrect facts on your site will leave or be a much harder sale.
-
Run Spell Check and Read Your Content.
You would be surprised at the mistakes you can catch simply by reading your content to yourself. Reading aloud is often even more effective.
-
Remember Your Audience.
Write differently for your demographic. Consider your site visitor's age, location, and demographic to get a better idea of their education level, interest in detail and even attention span.