The World Wide Web today is overflowing with content and the need for it is growing everyday. Similarly, the pool of articles needed to for web content is growing at an exponential rate. Writing good articles for the web is not as simple as sitting down and tapping away on your keyboard. It is also not the same as writing for printed media.
Here are some tips by which you can write great articles for web copies:
1. Keep your words simple and your ideas concise. One main thing that you must remember is that online users come from various nationalities and backgrounds. For you to touch more readers, use simple words that are more likely to be understood by surfers from all over. Do not use big words that are too complicated. As much as possible, try to stay away from technical terms. If you need to use them, explain them in laymen’s terms.
2. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. Another thing you should know about online readers is that their attention span when surfing is equivalent to that of a goldfish. Short sentences that are concise and direct to the point are best in order to keep their attention as long as you need it to be. Sentences and paragraphs that are too long will confuse your readers so that you eventually lose them. Once lost, they rarely ever come back.
3. Make sure that your article is easy to scan through. Still because of the short attention spans of your target audience, it is important to make sure that your article is scan ready. Impatient web readers tend to jump right into the information that they need and skip those which they do not find interesting. There are various ways by which you can keep their attention (at the least, to make sure they get to read the portions they need to). Some practical ways include using headings, sub-heading, numbered or bulleted lists and typeface variation.
4. Fill your article with useful substance. Your copy should include practical and valuable information that will be useful for your readers. Remember that your job is to impart knowledge, while at the same time build your credibility in the niche that you have chosen. Do your research, or draw from your experience and knowledge if you must. Content-rich articles are always appreciated by the audience.
5. Make your article conversational, but professional looking. There is no easier way to connect with your audience than to adopt a conversational tone in your article. At the same time, make sure that it exudes a professional feel – with shirt sentences and page formatting of a maximum of 65 characters per line. It is best to select short article formats including tips list, how-to’s, and question and answer formats. Make sure that you add in short but appropriate introduction and summary. You can connect further with your readers by adding in some practical tips or personal experiences in the ending, especially if you are selling products.
Of course, these tips assume the perfect grammar and consistency in your articles. Follow these tips and you would surely come up with quality articles that will be well-distributed and well-read all throughout the web.
