Welcome to the Web - Rocketface(R) Workshop Webmaster's Tutorial - "How to Design a Website"

5 Ways to Create Effective Website Content
By: Mark Smiciklas

In order to retain the attention of prospects and clients visiting your small business website, the content you present needs to be organized, easy to read and search engine compatible. Writing for the web is different - online reading is not the same as reading from print. Web users, particularly those performing website searches, have limited attention spans - they tend to scan pages for specific information rather than reading every single word of content.

1. "Clean" Information Layout

Research indicates that the average web user only reads 20% of the content on any given web page. Here are a few ways to design your content so it captures the attention of your visitors:

Descriptive headings

Let the reader know exactly what's on the web page by using headings that provide accurate descriptions of the content

Short paragraphs

Present one topic or idea per paragraph to make it easier to scan through a web page

Bullet points

If some of your web pages present multiple facts within a single section, lay out the content in point form to make it easier for your visitors to "digest" the information

Bold text

Use bolding or capitalization to draw attention to important words/phrases

2. Concise Copy

Avoid the urge to present every detail about your company, product or service. Approach your content from the perspective of your website visitor and (briefly) describe how you can help provide a solution to a problem they might have. When it comes to editing, a good rule of thumb is to take what you've written and cut the word count in half!

3. Simple Language

One of the biggest problems with many websites is the amount of "gobbledygook" that is used. Try to avoid the use of technical language, industry specific lingo and acronyms. Your visitors will appreciate (and pay attention to) straightforward descriptions of your company, products, services and solutions.

4. Keywords

Take some time to research the keywords that are applicable to your product/service before writing or editing you website content. Keywords are the words or phrases web users type into search engines i.e Google, Yahoo!, etc to find information on the internet. Having the right keywords throughout your site's content will increase the likelihood of potential customers finding you online.

Google offers a great tool that will help you come up with keywords and provide you with search statistics (how many times the keyword was used in Google searches over a period of time).

5. Great Content

Offering great content will make your website better - An obvious statement, but based on the content on many websites, easier said than done. It's important to understand the meaning of great content - it's not content you think is great, it's content your visitors will find exciting and useful.

Write an article that solves a client's problem

Write an e-book that helps visitors learn something new

Start a blog to share your ideas - and invite people to comment

Publish a white-paper on a topic or trend that is important to your clients/prospects

One last note

Offer your content for FREE...making people jump through hoops and exchanging content for email addresses is not the best way to build your brand online. If you offer good content and goodwill, it will pay off in the long run.

Mark Smiciklas is a Vancouver Marketing Consultant. His firm, Intersection Consulting, helps small to mid-sized businesses address challenges in the areas of marketing, management and business development. To find out more about Intersection Consulting, please visit http://www.intersectionconsulting.com

Keyword and Content Optimization

Keywords are the Keys to the Internet

If you have been on the internet for any length of time you have probably discovered 'keywords', certain words that can, when properly used, help to generate traffic to your website.

Determining Keywords

Determining keywords is a critical step in web design. If your website and meta tags do not contain related keywords, web surfers will be unable to find your website when they conduct searches.

Writing for the Web

Writing for the Web is very different from traditional writing. The way website visitors read Web copy is unique and you must adjust your writing style to be effective.

Which Keywords Should You Optimize Your Site For?

This article will give you the formula for the Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI) - a mathematical formula to help you determine which keywords you should be optimizing your site for.

How To Find The Right Keywords To Optimize Search Engine Results

In order for visitors to reach their destination-your website-you need to provide them with effective signs that direct them right to your site by creating carefully chosen keywords.

Creating Keyword Rich Pages

Once you have established the keywords for which you should optimize your site, it is time to figure out how you can get a high ranking in the search engines for those keywords.

The Secrets to Keywords - Expanding Your List

The Primary objective of a business website is to attract potential buyers and convert them into paying customers. Relevant keywords allow you to fulfil this primary objective.

Content and Optimization

The content of your individual webpages determines how your visitors and the search engines se your website. The proper form and placement of your content is key to optimization.

Building Fresh Content for Search Engines

Fresh and unique content always plays an important role in terms of search engine optimization. Search engines understand this and therefore place a great weight on the content freshness.

Increase Search Engine Traffíc With Quality Content

Every web site owner wants to íncrease search engine traffíc. It's free and the visitor is targeted to your subject matter, product or service. What more could you ask for in search engine traffíc?

The Importance of Updating Your Website Content

There are countless reasons why updating your content is significant but the number one reason is to retain the publics appeal in stopping by your website.