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Writing's on the Wall: Web Needs
Content
Teena Rose is a columnist, personal branding expert,
public speaker, and career-marketing guru.
She’s author of a book on "How
to Start a Resume Writing Business,"
entitled "Starting a Home- or Office-based Resume Business"
... the
only major tool you'll need to start, operate, and profit from a
resume service. The book covers all the "nuggets" you'll need to
learn about during the start-up and daily operations of your
business.
There have always been aspiring writers who never had the chance to
see their work published. Before the Internet, writers had to be
educated in the craft or talented enough to be published in books,
magazines, periodicals, etc.
The web, however, has opened up a completely new world for writers,
creating a tremendous demand for free website content, whether it’s
high-end editorials or the most basic Ezine articles. One thing that
every website owner wants is content that’s useful. The Web is a
place where the majority of the people simply want information. In
the last decade, in offices and homes around the world, when people
don’t know the answer to something the common phrase has become,
“look it up on the Internet.”
Most web readers skim over copy at lightening speed, and seek
information, rather than absorb it as they do from television, radio
or newspapers. Web writing should hit readers over the head with
content that announces the site’s focus. When website surfers hit a
home page, you have only a few seconds, so the content should be at
the top of the page, and read clearly and concisely.
There are hundreds of sites with the same type of content, so web
content writers should make sure they’ve targeted their audience.
The information has to be useful and to the point, and the writer
needs to remember that it’s called the World Wide Web for a reason,
meaning content can be accessed by anyone around the globe who has a
computer and Internet connection.
The style of a web writer should be tight, conversational and
lively. Surfers don’t want Tolstoy when they read online content.
They want to feel like you’re speaking to them. So the words should
be active, with simple declarative sentences in a tone that’s
personal and casual. In order to punch up online copy, add verbs,
adjectives and nouns with some flair. Readers always respond to
humor, especially with the volumes of drab content currently bogging
down websites everywhere, so attempt to interject some tasteful wit.
The first rule in journalism school is to “never bury the lead.”
This is a classic mistake made by first-time writers who think a
story should lead to a climax. Quite the opposite. The structure of
a story should follow the inverted pyramid style, where the first
few paragraphs summarize the story, providing the
most
substantial, interesting, and important information. The rest can
fill in the details.
To draw a reader in and keep them interested, a headline is almost
as important as a strong lead. Keep them short and sweet, especially
when it comes to the Internet. The keyword is an important component
for Internet search engines, so headlines should include relevant
keywords that reflect the content of a story.
With any type of writing, the basics shouldn’t be ignored. Online
writing is still in its infancy, and there are plenty of bogus
claims and myths found within Internet text. Sticking to the facts
and fundamentals is paramount for any content writer who wants to
establish a long career in this growing business. |