While the basics of Internet content development such as keyword density, proper
information, correct grammar and no spelling mistakes are important for every
copywriter to follow, they are by no means the only consideration for Internet
writers and web site owners. One little known fact about Internet readers is that
they will usually only read around a quarter of an article or post before making the
decision to either choose your service or continue searching for alternatives.
Learning how to arrange your content for maximum effect to combat this problem is
crucial to online copy-writing success.
The Food Pyramid – For Writers
Just like the organization of the old food pyramid, writing has a pyramid
that should be used to accent information and ensure that your readers will read the
most important information first, before they have a chance to leave. If you have a
long winded expository statement or introduction before you get to the main point of
your article, you could rapidly lose reader interest before they have a chance to
take in the key points of your article.
When you first finish an article, read through it and try to identify every
paragraph that holds some major information about your product or service. Mark each
of these with a number ranking them from the least to most important information.
When you are done, you can reorganize your content to move from the top number,
down. If you are having difficulty ranking paragraphs, consider using the following
criteria (listed from most to least important):
Specific Product Information – What does your product or service do?
Benefits of Your Service – How do you rise above the competition? How are you the
best service?
Call to Action – What does the reader need to do next? How can they order your
service?
Company Information – Quotes or connections with the reader.
Historical Information – Classically first in informational articles but not as
important in sales driven writing or reviews.
Content Formatting and Organization
One of the most common mistakes that content writers often make when writing for the
Internet is underestimating the importance of space and organization. Do not indent
paragraphs. Instead, leave at least once space between each block of text, header
and subhead. In addition, try to keep your content away from your banners and
advertisements. Flashy ads can make content very difficult to read – often causing
the reader to skip to the next paragraph, possibly skipping important information.
Finally, avoid long sentences or an overuse of commas. Although many English
teachers may not approve, short, blunt sentences can be very helpful to Internet
readers. You can also break up sentences using hyphens rather than using commas
every time – just like this. Even this small amount of space can work wonders on
content readability and scanning ease.
Author: Corry Cummings is the owner of Content Customs, a content creation company that specializes in high quality web content writing services. He also runs a blog over at Content Customs, which is managed and written by one of the head writers of the company.
