It's important for web designers to know the essentials of good web content. Often times, it's the writing that attracts the readers. Creating better websites depends on not only good web design and programming, but also dynamic web content.
Many web developers and designers are programmers, artists or both, but many are not writers. They lack in this very important skill known as web content writing.
Content writing is a very important tool that can make or break a website. If you have a beautiful design, perfect programming but very lousy written content, your clients and potential clients will lose a bit of respect. If quality is part of your web business ethics, that sense of quality needs to spill over to the cyberwriting aspect of your website.
Content writing refers to any content used on your site. From descriptions, facts, blogs, FAQs, how-to pages and so forth, the content you are posting says a lot about the type of business you’re running.
We’ve all heard about SEO content, but without SEO content that makes sense, a website loses credibility, direction, and purpose. Many businesses have been lured by cheap content and articles sold in bulk from places overseas where English is a second language. Unfortunately, many of those learning the second language haven’t created content that makes any sense. Others use robots and programs that create content, but the end result is articles that make little, to no, sense. Don’t compromise quality of the sake of clicks, especially since you will lose respect along the way.
Five Tips of Cultivating Good Cyberwriting
- Use Active Language – Keep your perspective in the present tense. Past tense sentences tend to be boring and not as descriptive.
- Be specific and detailed – Successful content writing contains specific information that clients can use. Don’t be vague. Provide details that answer questions.
- Use good headlines, captions and exciting words – Build enthusiasm and excitement with your introductions. Use headlines and captions that create anticipation and lead a person to read further.
- Get your audience involved. Good content writing engages the senses. It can also mean your website has interactive features, driven with clever writing.
- Provide benefit statements. Let’s face it; people want to know what’s in it for them. Tell them. Provide lively and truthful benefit statements.
Web designers who put themselves in the driver’s seat, are more likely to come up with better content, more benefit statements and cyberwriting that moves in a focused direction.