Web Designers and Programmers: a writer’s best friend
As a writer I studied many of the traditional forms of writing: marketing, business, technical, journalism…but who knew that web and Internet writing would become a skill all it’s own. The Internet offers a wide variety of opportunity for writers from web site content to blogging, article syndication to digital press release distribution. The key is that writers learn the specific formulas and structures associated with Internet writing. Although I will always be a lover of the printed word, Internet audiences are growing daily and their needs are very different. Here are some important tips for writers working on the net or individuals in charge of their own web content.
Keywords are essential. Understanding the keywords that belong to a particular Internet audience or online target market is the way to attracting more web site traffic and the attention of search engines. Use them on the front and back end of your web site.
The attention span is SHORT-you have seconds to make your point. When a potential customer visits your web site they will spend about ten seconds (if you are lucky) scanning your homepage. If they don’t understand what they should do within that ten seconds it is likely they will go to another site. If you want them to BUY then say it right away. If you want them to READ ON then state that. If you want them to “Call You For a Free Consultation” make sure it is clearly displayed in the beginning.
Avoid large blocks of plain text. Online most readers scan first and then continue to read something that sparks their interest. Make sure your content online inlcudes subheads, pull quotes and other bolded themes. This will help the reader know what the content is before they read it and they will continue reading if the information pertains to them.
As writers, the Internet provides a variety of jobs and specializing in the type of writing that is required for web sites, blogs and other online tools is slowly becoming an important skill. Web designers and programmers often don’t have the time to invest in writing and most of their clients don’t know enough about the technical aspect of web writing to complete good text on their own, but in order for the web site to succeed the content must be optimized and handled correctly. This is why web designers and programmers are a writer’s best friend! Get to know these people if you’d like to write for the web. Learn from them, network with them and offer affordable services. They can often times be your best sales person since they know the value of what you do! Branch out and think outside the box! Creativity is a commodity for all of us and if we share this energy we wil also share one another’s success.
Until next time…..enjoy the beauty of winter as it descends upon us!
Sarah
