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.
Mark Nenadic Mark is the director and face behind FifteenDegrees-North, where you will find articles and resources to help with SEO, marketing and Web design.
