The Importance Of Writing Great Web Site Content
By David Nicolosi
©2006 All rights reserved
The next time you visit a web site, take a moment to stop and ask yourself "why am I visiting this web site?" Chances are
your answer is going to have something to do with the content. The fact
is, content is king. Having the most unique and informative content that
is relevant to your genre of web site will greatly increase user
retention. We'll discuss some key components to keeping your web site
content fresh and keeping it relevant!
Choose a topic you're an expert in
Consider this. You have just discovered the world of online affiliation
where you can make money through advertisements placed on your web site.
You see advertisements on just about every web page on the Internet these
days, mostly in the form of Google AdSense. “Sign up for Google AdSense
and start earning commissions today!”
Sure, it sounds great and it can
be very profitable, but the mistakes many new webmasters will make is
choosing a market that they feel will make them a quick buck rather than
choosing something they are passionate about. The result of this over-enthusiasm for capital gain is typically a web
site that lacks
originality, style and quality content.
You'll find that the key to success is providing users with a quality site where content is your main focus. Once
you've established a niche that you feel comfortable in and can showcase a strong knowledge on your subject matter,
content will come easy.
Enlist the help of ghost writers
Writing quality content can be time consuming. The more ambitious your
site is, the more quality content you'll need to provide. Don't be
afraid to enlist the help of ghost writers to help you fill those empty
pages. As long as you enlist the help of others who are experts in your
chosen web site category, you'll be well off with the additional content writers.
Try asking some colleagues if they'll write an article or two or post messages on forums stating that you're looking
for a content writer. Of course not everyone is willing to help without some form of compensation. If your site offers
services that users typically pay for, try offering those services to a select few friends or colleague for free in
exchange for articles and content.
Be your own worst critic
When it comes down to the quality of your content, be your own worse critic. Be nitpicky about every little nuance and
aspect of every sentence you write down. Read it several times over, making sure it's relaying effectively the message
you're trying to get across. When in doubt, have a friend or co-worker read through your content and get their honest
opinions.
You only have a few seconds to make an impression on your users, so never publish anything that is less than perfect.
Your goal is to make sure your content contains useful and quality information without error before being seen by
visitors of your site. Also, make sure to run your article through a spell check (such as with MS Word) before
publishing it.
Add something new each day
A web site that remains static will not retain users. It's fact. For your web site to keep generating repeat traffic,
you need to give your users something new each day. They will need to see constant changes, new articles and
up-to-the-minute news and information so they will be intrigued in coming back. Never fall into a comfort zone where you
feel you can "wait another day" to update your site. You can be
sure of one thing: if you're not on top of your web site, the competition
will be!
Write your content for users, not search engines
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important to search engines; content
is important to users. Do not confuse the two. Content should be written
with the user in mind, without thinking about how it will impact search
engines.
Content written for search engines usually are comprised of
keyword stuffing (repetitiveness of key words), which more often than
not will make the content neither useful nor particularly enjoyable to
read. You will be doing a disservice to yourself and your users if you
write your content for search engines.
By focusing on the user you'll soon reap the benefits of quality content
that was written with passion and knowledge. Over time you'll find that
you'll receive residual traffic as other webmasters link to your site,
users post your URL in forums and word-of-mouth spreads. Although
content is just one component to generating traffic to your site (you
still need to apply SEO), it will ensure that the traffic you do get
keeps coming back for more.
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