Web Content Writing That Works For You
Copyright 2006 Mark Nenadic
Web content writing always seems as though it should be a
relatively straight-forward and simple thing to do, until you
sit down to do it, and find out that you not only know what
you're aiming for, but you also don't know what it means to
write web content like a pro. Web design these days dictates
that you have a certain font, a certain size, a certain wording,
and a certain layout, or visitors will feel uncomfortable or
disappointed in your site, and will automatically move on to
somewhere else that can better meet their needs and expectations.
To begin with, writing web content is a very careful process
that depends on the right information, the right style, and the
right keywords, to make sure that it is pleasant to your
readers, it encourages them to stay on your site, and it is easy
for search engines to index, assuring that you achieve a good
ranking and are easier for web users to find. Web content
writing is, therefore, an art and a skill, and should only be
tackled once you feel comfortable with the fact that you know
what you're doing. Otherwise, you may find it much more
appealing to hire a professional who can meet all of your needs
and save you a great deal of time.
The secret to web content writing is that the wording must be
focused on the reader. Therefore, instead of saying "I am the
best realtor because I've been in the business for 25 years and
I have won 16 awards," when you write web content, you should
say "You will achieve much greater results with my 25 years of
experience and 16 awards to sell your home". While the first
phrasing gives the reader the facts, the second phrasing shows
the reader how the facts apply to them in a beneficial way.
This encourages the reader to continue reading as they can apply
the information to themselves, and want to continue to find out
how they can relate to what you have to say. The longer the
visitor sticks around your website, the better your chance of
getting your message across and the more likely you are to
achieve your goal, whether that be to inform your reader, sell a
product, or brand your company.
Keywording is another important part of web design and web
content writing. This means that for every page of your website,
you need to select one or two of the terms that would most
likely be used by someone looking on a search engine for that
kind of page. For example, if you have a website about painting,
you may have a page with the keyword "paint rollers",
"professional painters", or "how to paint". It all depends on
the purpose of the page, and how you think someone would look
for that page on a site such as Yahoo! or Google. Further to
choosing the keyword, you need to know how to use it. You need
to make sure that it is worked naturally into your content, or
the page will be useless, even if it brings in a lot of traffic.
Nobody wants to read a sentence such as "Our Barking Dog From
Neighbor Stop will make sure that you never have to listen to a
yappy dog again." It doesn't make any sense, and there is no
real message behind it. Though "barking dog from neighbor stop"
may be a good search word, but once the visitors arrive, they
will be put off by the terrible wording and grammar.
Once you have determined what you're going to say, why, and how
you're going to say it, it's also important to lay it out
properly so that your visitors won't struggle visually to read
it. This means that you need to use the right fonts, font sizes,
colors, and spacing.
The following are the most successful specs for the text of your
web content writing:
10 to 12 point font is the optimum size for readability.
The best fonts to use are Verdana, Arial, Palatino Linotype, and
Helvetica, as they are very clear, and well spaced.
Though black text on a white background is the easiest to read,
a white background can be hard on the eyes. Therefore, using an
off-white color such as a cream, light beige, or a very light
grey will make a much more pleasant change.
With these pointers, your web content writing will be a much
more effective and pleasurable experience.