Writing for Websites: Key Principles for Engaging Content
Addressing Reader Attention Span
- Statistics Insight:
- Research indicates that 55% of webpage visitors spend a mere 15 seconds or less on a site.
- Crafting well-written and optimised content becomes pivotal to retain reader attention and rank higher on search results.
Principles for Effective Website Content
- Know Your Audience:
- Understand your primary and secondary audience, crafting content accessible and intriguing to both groups.
- Inverted Pyramid Model:
- Start with your conclusion or the most critical information to retain reader interest and facilitate quick comprehension. Benefits:
- Allows quick assessment of article relevance.
- Facilitates skimming while retaining key points.
- Enhances SEO with relevant keywords upfront.
- Concise Writing Style:
- Use short, simple sentences (<35 words), focusing on nouns and verbs while minimizing adverbs and adjectives for reader engagement.
- Active Voice and Clarity:
- Utilize active voice and specify subjects for direct, engaging sentences that resonate with the audience.
- Avoid Jargon and Enhance Clarity:
- Simplify information for a broader audience, explaining acronyms and complex terms while providing additional resources through hyperlinks.
- Scannable Text and Whitespace:
- Employ bulleted or numerical lists, labelled tabs, and descriptive sub-headers for easy scanning.
- Incorporate whitespace for better legibility and divide content into readable sections.
- Multimedia Integration:
- Incorporate visuals, infographics, or videos to enhance understanding and engagement, considering the human brain’s preference for visual information.
- SEO Integration:
- Structure content with relevant search terms in mind to optimize discoverability and reach through search engines.
- Effective Call-to-Action (CTA):
- End content with a compelling CTA, directing readers to further explore your website or engage with specific actions.
- Utilize action-oriented verbs for concise CTAs and include hyperlinks enabling immediate action.
These principles act as guiding tenets for crafting web content that resonates, engages, and optimizes reader interaction while catering to search engine algorithms and user preferences.