Whether you have a point to make, information to give or a new poem, you will presumably prefer to be read, so how? Nobody wants to read what is uninteresting or unoriginal or irrelevant- especially when there is plenty of competing material out there. Whatever your subject, aim to be interesting, relevant and original. Here are ten tips.
 |
| “Pigs might fly” is a cliche, but a flying pig can be interesting |
Be yourself
If it interests you then it has a good chance of interesting others. Only write what you believe is true or interesting, whatever the subject.
Be concise
Many web pages are read for an average of 45 seconds or less. People are often in information mode on the internet and seldom suffer more than a couple of paragraphs of content before giving up. So keep it short and to the point if you can.
Use good headings and titles
A good heading that tells readers what the page or article is about in a clear but enticing way is essential. Search engines also read headings and titles carefully so don’t make them cryptic or generic – be clear, specific and interesting.
Use Keywords
Keywords are the trigger words that
are relevant to your subject area. They let readers know what you are all
about, but they are also read by search engines crawling your site trying to understand how to categorise you and bring
relevant visitors to your pages.
Signpost your paragraphs
Encourage your readers to carry on reading down your pages with punchy paragraph headings. It keeps their attention and encourages them to read on. Newspapers have been doing just that for almost a century now.
Be easy to find
Make your website easy to follow. Use clear and easy to follow tabs and signs, and organise the material with links so visitors can find their way to what they want to read. That way visitors who come in on one page may be tempted to go on to read another.
 |
| Don’t make your pages hard to find |
Don’t dissapoint
Readers are unforgiving about cul de sac pages on a website that have little or no content, or an “under construction” notice. Ditto links that link to nowhere. A few failed clicks and visitors will soon conclude that all your pages may be similarly empty. Result – they stop clicking. So make every page worth visiting, or take it down until it is.
Be topical and up to date
Out of date material gets sort shrift these days, so keep news or information in particular topical and updated. Link to other sources if you want an article to remain relevant
Be original
Search engines can spot plagiarism or content lifted from elsewhere, and readers may too. So be fresh and original, or add your own spin on events or topics under discussion. News travels fast but a good summary of several news sources can be useful, your personal experience or an original photo can still add interest to a popular item. People will link to and recommend you if they like what you say.
Use illustrations
Photographs and artwork make your site attractive, add credibility to articles and retain interest in accompanying text. So add them.
If you have photos or artwork of your own, great. Otherwise check out
Google images for an almost infinite number of images and illustrations
on almost any topic. Check for copyright though – some images are owned.