Building a Content Rich Website

Writing for the Web

Reading online, on a computer screen, differs in many ways from the way people read print publications. Most skim through an article rather than read it line after line.

By breaking up content into small chunks, and by the generous use of white space between them, you can make your WebPages look neat, uncluttered, and readable.

Some tips:

Use shorter sentences
Use 'catch' words and phrases
Avoid long, difficult words with many syllables
Get to the point right away
Use sub-titles to set off paragraphs

Spelling and Grammar

Your reader will judge you on many factors. Spelling/grammar is an important one.

Reasonable care to ensure correct spelling and grammar is essential if you are to establish a serious image.

A few mistakes might (and will) slip through the cracks! Your readers will probably accept this. But if it happens very often, you lose credibility.

Style

A formal, impersonal, grammatical style would be ideal for some topics. But a chatty, friendly, write-as-you-talk style will be a perfect fit for others. There aren't any rules - use what works for you.

Be Bold - Experiment

Managing a Website can be an interesting voyage of self-discovery. Be adventurous. Try out new ideas. Imitate models you find interesting. Keep innovating.

And monitor response to each change. Did your readers like it? If they did, keep it. If not, experiment again.

Most sites grow by such trial-and-error methods. The winners are those who identify successful models and develop them, while ruthlessly eliminating any that fail.

An open mind to ideas and suggestions, and a willingness to adapt to change, is perhaps the best skill you can develop as a Webmaster.