Content has become more important for websites now with SEO and digital marketing. Good content on a website is the most effective way to get your brand across in the digital space. It has to be done with consistently high quality writing. It will improve your audience engagement and retention. It will also deliver useful information for customers that they can’t get anywhere else and have them coming back for more.
Here are seven ways I use to do it.
- Know your audience.
This is critical. Knowing your audience https://theconversation.com/what-it-means-to-know-your-audience-when-communicating-about-science-111147 is the best way to deliver targeted information. I am always strategic. I ask who is the primary audience? Is there a secondary audience, the ones the primary audience interacts with, that can influence them?
2. Use the inverted pyramid
I use the inverted pyramid https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/structuring-content/types-structure/inverted-pyramid because people have short attention spans. I respect that. I structure the content like an upside-down pyramid or cone. The most important messages go at the top of the page. Then, I gradually drill down to the more specific, supporting information. Like, for example, the most important details—a description of the theme, date, and location—would appear at the top of the page. The other stuff is further down.3
3. Use short simple sentences
When I am communicating on a website, I use short simple sentences. Shorter words are always preferred. There is no point using words like “equanimity” or “obfuscate” when “staying cool” and “confuse” are better
4. Stick to active voice
I always use the active voice https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/active-vs-passive-voice-difference#:~:text=The%20active%20voice%20asserts%20that,action%20represented%20by%20the%20verb on websites. An active voice is better because it create succinct, reader-friendly sentences. You are speak directly to the audience. It’s more engaging to say “You can do it”, rather than “It can be done”. The problem with the passive sentences is that they leave readers unsure of who or what is causing the action. I always use direct language on websites
5. Forget the jargon
Websites are meant to be engaging. They are for everyone, not just specialists. So I always find it important to make sure the language is clear. I avoid insider language and I spell out every acronym first. Every complex or niche term is explained carefully.
6 Use scannable content
Creating scannable content https://www.quicksprout.com/the-step-by-step-guide-to-creating-scannable-content/ is essential. Let’s face it. People have limited attention spans when it comes to reading web pages, so the content needs to be presented in a way that makes it scannable
That means I use bulleted or numerical lists. Instead of one long page of text, I organize content into labeled tabs. And I always include “white space.” That describes the empty space that surrounds paragraphs, images, and other elements on your web page. I also divide content into sections with descriptive sub-headings
7. Use multimedia
I always use easy-to-read charts or graphs to explain complex topics. They do the job better than text alone. Canva https://www.canva.com/en_au/ is a good tool. For video, I always use YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/
These are the tools and methods that I always use when working on websites. My aim is always to create something that’s engaging and keep the audience coming back for more.
If you need me for your website, contact me at leon@leongettler.com or phone me at 0411 745 193
