Articles

Five Simple Ways to Improve Your Web-Based Content Today

by Courtney Myers Professional Writer and Editor

When it comes to standing out in the online space, it’s not enough anymore to simply have a dynamic, user-friendly website. You have to also fill those web pages with informative, relevant content that addresses your customers’ pain points, helps answer their questions and keeps them entertained throughout. Yet, unless you went to school for professional writing, content creation might not come easily to you. As such, you may find that original and creative blog posts, web copy, marketing slicks and collateral are difficult to create on a routine basis.


Whether it’s spelling and grammar that are tricking you up, or it can be chalked up to a lack of inspiration, here are five easy ways to improve the quality of your web content today.


1. Organize your thoughts.


You could have the most interesting and informative web copy in the world, but if your thoughts are jumping all over the places, chances are high your online readers won’t follow you along that bumpy journey. Before you even begin typing a single letter, take the time to do a little pre-writing. Yes, the same exercise that your teachers made you perform before a big writing class in elementary school is still applicable today. At the very least, create a draft outline of your ideas and sub-ideas to get a general understanding of how you’ll lay out and segue into your key topics.


2. Add in visuals.


Studies show that we’re visual creatures by nature and we retain far more of what we see than what we read. To capitalize on this, be sure to include plenty of eye-catching grapics, videos, infographics, animation or any other media that fits your industry genre, into your content. You’ll break up the monotony of black-and-white text on a screen. You’ll also improve your chances of being remembered long after that browser is closed.


3. Weave in storytelling elements.


It’s a general rule that readers love hearing first-hand accounts. Thus, storytelling is a key element of creating powerful web content. If you have a personal anecdote that is appropriate and fits your topic, don’t hesitate to include it in the narrative. Or, with permission, tell the story of someone else if the content and context are correct. A great story invests the reader and hooks him or her, encouraging further pursuit and continued reading. You’ll connect with your readers and help put a live face to your stagnant products and services.


4. Keep it fresh.


If someone hops on your website only to see blog posts from 2015 featured prominently on the page, discussing current events that haven’t been “current” in almost five years, and backed by clip art graphics that instantly date it, it’s time for an overhaul. Go through your old posts and make sure they’re catalogued for collection, but aren’t splashed across your main page. While you’re at it, create a blogging schedule that’s easy to stick to and dedicate that you’ll spend “X” amount of time each week creating new content. You don’t have to post daily, but two to three times a week is great. As you do so, you’ll help push the older content farther down the pipeline.


5. Resist the urge to fluff it up.


It’s common to see web writers who use long words or convoluted sentences to express a single thought that could have been summed up in just a few words. The Facebook User Agreement, which has been picked apart in the press for being too wordy and difficult to follow with a low readability score, is one example of this.


Don’t let this be you. Go through your content and check it against apps such as Hemingway. As you do so, you’ll see how many instance of past-tense are in your content. You’ll also see what reading level you’re writing at, how many adverbs there are, and if there are any sentences that can be rewritten to improve simplicity.


Ultimately, web visitors want to digest content that’s easy to comprehend, quick to read and packs a powerful punch. If you feel that yours is lacking lately, take heart. All it takes is a little pre-planning, practice and patience and you’ll be cranking out top-quality content in no time!


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About Courtney Myers Freshman   Professional Writer and Editor

1 connections, 0 recommendations, 28 honor points.
Joined APSense since, February 24th, 2018, From High Point, NC, United States.

Created on Jun 1st 2018 00:15. Viewed 521 times.

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