Tips for writing web content

Good content on your website is very important. Here are a few pointers to help you to create effective content for your website:

When deciding WHAT to write

  1. Establish your business's tone of voice and maintain this throughout, e.g. friendly, professional, polite, informal, enthusiastic, supportive.
  2. Use an active voice and address readers directly
  3. Use 'we' to refer to your organisation. Use 'I' if you are blogging
  4. Imagine what questions visitors to your site may be asking: Does your website answer them?
  5. Give people useful, relevant information
  6. 'Less is more' when it comes to web content
  7. Use a blog to write educational posts related to your business
  8. Use different types of content, e.g. video, photos etc.
  9. Remember to include your keywords in your content to improve your SEO (refer to our guide to SEO)

When deciding HOW to write

  1. Keep information brief and to the point; people don't want to have to read a lot
  2. Break content into topics and sub-topics; use headings
  3. Keep sentences/paragraphs short and easy to understand
  4. Start with your key points
  5. Break up text with images where possible
  6. Use lists when you can
  7. Use short, common words and clear language

When deciding HOW OFTEN to update content

  1. Ensure the information on your site is up to date and accurate (especially contact information)
  2. Use a blog to create fresh content
  3. Use an editorial calendar to keep track of what you put on your site and how often you update it ; plan topics and when you post them

Final checklist

  1. Spelling and grammar; run the spell checker or use a dictionary/thesaurus
  2. Proof read, review and edit
  3. Ask others to read your content: Can they understand it?
  4. Do any links that you have included work?

Still stuck for words? Contact us, we're happy to help.

Reference:

Redish, J., Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works. (2007) Morgan Kaufmann Publishers