A Web Designer is charged with the heady task of creating a work that will bring the client business, and provide the end-user the greatest value possible. There are numerous ways to go about this, though the big five concepts to remember are: Originality, Confirmation, Readability, Usefulness, and the Ability to Entertain.
When you look for something online, what would you select? Would it be the document telling the ten most common ways to handle a problem, regurgitated across a dozen sites? Or will you read the article by the business owner describing the best way to handle a problem, with proof of the effectiveness of the solution? Which one says, “Click Here?”
It will be the one telling the unique story, that of the business owner. By providing a unique take on a problem, you give the reader incentive to click on the link and read the article.
Regardless of how interesting a document can be, it is worthless if it does not provide the readers proof that the material and solutions discussed is factual. With anyone capable of creating information for dissemination on the web, the viewer has a special place in the “Click Here” part of his brain for articles with plenty of sources backing up the claims made.
The most informative document in the world is ultimately useless of the reader is not capable of understanding a single word within it.
This goes beyond the basics of grammar and punctuation. It encompasses vernacular and local dialects that might make sense for the writer, but not for anyone else.
Which article title makes more sense, “Horizontal Drilling Increases Yields By Twenty Percent,” or “Expansion of Drilling Processes to Include Lateral Lines To Access Previously Locked Raw Product?” The first one tempts the casual reader to “click here.” The last scares the viewer away.
The average person looks for material to help solve a particular issue. Ideally the writer understands what the problem is and creates a solution to it.
Beyond that, it is vital for the article to reference the issue frequently enough for search engines to pick up on the purpose of the article Search Engine Optimization is critical for most web developers in this day and age, since organic growth of your website can only help so much.
No one wants to read something that will make them cry. Unless the tears comes from laughter, they should not be shed.
A joke or two, appropriately placed and pertaining to the topic, goes a long way to building a sense of rapport between the reader and the writer. Over time, if the readers view the writer as someone worthy of trust and a laugh, the writer’s name becomes an asset to the site. The name will be the trigger to convince people to “click here.”
Providing material that matches these five criteria is an interesting challenge for even the most seasoned of writers. It is often a task that is handled without the care that it deserves. But, by breaking down the desired product into these five basic categories, it becomes possible to easily create something that the viewer will greatly appreciate, and come back to the site for more.
An article is only as valuable as the material that comprises it, and is the client’s greatest asset when it comes to bringing people to the website. I have long since learned that any article that makes a point of incorporating the points listed above will have a greater chance achieving success for the client and the reader.
