You already know how important good content is to a successful website. Search engines thrive on content. Social media loves to share content. Shame visitors don’t read content – at least not in the way you think.
Studies have shown that 80% of online readers skim web content, rather than reading in the same way as you would a novel or magazine article. Web surfing is a different activity – as much about clicking around than reading the words. Therefore, the best web content is structured to get the point across under these extremely difficult circumstances.
You already know how important good content is to a successful website. Search engines thrive on content. Social media loves to share content. Shame visitors don’t read content – at least not in the way you think.
Studies have shown that 80% of online readers skim web content, rather than reading in the same way as you would a novel or magazine article. Web surfing is a different activity – as much about clicking around than reading the words. Therefore, the best web content is structured to get the point across under these extremely difficult circumstances.
You know the old saying about first impressions? Websites are no different. The impression it makes in those first crucial seconds could be enough to convince the reader to either read on or click away.
If there is a core message, it needs to be glaringly obvious in those opening seconds. The headline and subheadings of the page should have the keywords and phrases that assure the reader he is in the right place. Don’t fill the top of the page with fancy images and design elements and leave the all-important copy hiding below the fold. A visitor won’t scroll down if he can avoid it.
Look at the home page of your website. Is the purpose of the website instantly obvious at first glance? Do you have to read paragraphs of text to get the idea or do the headings tell the story?
Where possible, avoid dense paragraphs of prose. Unless you are writing longer form articles (like this one – more later) simple web copy designed to convert customers should be brief and to the point.
It has been demonstrated that, on product pages especially, less copy laid out in bullet points converts more customers than swathes of dense text. Even though you may think you are providing enough information, often a customer wants the simple facts to make a decision and click the button. Anything else is a waste and risks the customer losing interest.
Blog posts, articles and news items are designed to contain more information. Therefore, longer paragraphs and traditional writing conventions are necessary. Yet, with regular subheadings, it is possible to break up the copy to make it easier on the online reader.
A good rule of thumb is to use a descriptive subheading after every two or three paragraphs, separating major points or lines of thought into clearly identified sections. By using descriptive headings, it is possible for a casual reader to gain a fair idea of the content by glancing down.
The longer the copy, the more likely it is you will need other design elements to make the page more interesting and less of a strain on the reader. Images, boxouts (small text boxes containing additional relevant information as in magazines), the use of fonts to distinguish sections or quotes can all help to add visual appeal to your copy and not make the job of reading seam so arduous.
A major difference between online and offline copy is also the ability to hyperlink to other relevant pages. Hyperlinking, or text linking, means you may not have to repeat yourself so much, reducing your copy length further. Instead of having to provide details of a particular item, the word can be linked to a page describing it in more detail. That way, those who need more information can find it, while those who understand can read on, unencumbered by unnecessary explanation.
Hyperlinking and text links are the glue that holds the web together. It is possible for readers not to leave your site when they follow one of these links. Some simple coding means the new webpage opens in a fresh window, leaving your website still available for when the reader has viewed the new material.
Add extra value to your content through the careful and judicious use of links. Just be careful not to overdo it. Too many links can become annoying within a body of text and can provide too many avenues for readers to leave your site and become distracted.
Some websites try to take a shortcut by paying for cheap, generic content to fill their pages. Paying students $10 per blog post or outsourcing to an overseas firm to produce content by the yard may seem a cost-effective way of getting plenty of words on the site for the search engines, but this approach is doomed to failure.
Although all this content may provide more search engine traffic, if the content isn’t fresh, interesting and unique enough, the visitors will soon click away. If the content is unoriginal keyword fodder merely designed to fill pages, it will fail at the goals you should really have – converting readers into customers. No one will subscribe to a blog that reads like a million other generic blogs out there. No one will take notice of an article that rehashes old ideas from other sites.
Sometimes, finding original ideas and opinions can seem hard. It isn’t. Use your own personality, your own opinions and observations. When you have an idea, jot it down in a notepad or type it into a folder on your PC. When you need an idea for an article, refer to this list and you should find inspiration.
Inspiration can’t be taught. It comes with practice, with looking around, with reading and understanding the trends and issues of the day and making your own connections.
Yes, the power of content cannot be stressed enough, but many do stress that they don’t have the time to produce the content their website deserves.
No one expects you to write an encyclopedia overnight. Many webmasters allocate a little time each week to producing new content, allowing the website to grow over time. Set aside a couple of hours at the weekend or when the wife or husband is watching their favourite television program. If you set yourself the goal of writing a short blog post or a new product page or article each and every week, in a few weeks and months you’ll have a body of content that will attract more search engine attention, more visitors, links and hopefully more sales.
There are many fantastic websites out there with tips and hints on writing great copy and developing strong ideas. Try them out and subscribe.
Jonathan Crossfield is the Marketing Communications Manager for Netregistry and PlanetDomain. He is a regular contributor on internet business to Nett Magazine and also produces a successful blog on writing.