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5 Tips to Becoming a Good Web Writer

Thursday, 2 February 2012 | (0) Leave A Comment

Hey Readers,

Today’s blog post is in response to the question posed by one of our readers, Jane – “What Makes a Good Web Writer?”

Perhaps you have been inspired by us or other blogs that you have stumbled across and decided to take up the challenge of becoming a web writer. Thus, THEHUMANNEQUIN writers have put together 5 tips to help enlighten you on adapting to the style of writing for the web.

Credibility

Credibility is essential for a good writer as it shows how trustworthy and reputable a reader perceives the writer to be. Therefore it is important to be a credible writer so you not only get the reputation, you also gain readership as well.

Firstly, always research before you start writing because if you cannot get your facts right, you are taking a huge risk because your readers will not be interested in contents that are not true, resulting in a possibility of the decrease in readership.

Secondly, include hyperlinks to external sources. This not only helps cite where you get your information from, but also helps in terms of backing up your content from other trustworthy websites and readers it is also a form of cross-referencing information.

Lastly is the citation of sources. This is the most important as without it; you are subjected to plagiarism, which is unethical for a writer as it is the form of copying information and making it your own. (Read more about it here). You should include footnotes or list out the sources at the bottom of the article.

Some ways to find out if the author or website is credible:

Who is the author?
Who do they link to; do they provide sources to back up their points?
Are news, advertising and opinions clearly separated?

You can read up more about credibility of a writer here.

Unique Selling Point (USP)

With millions of blogs out there, it may seem impossible to come up with a distinctive beat which will be recognizable towards the readers. However, if you do want to start blogging in any relatively popular niche, then you will need to twist for your blog topic.

Thing is, you do not need to come up with an entirely new beat – you just need to have your very own Unique Selling Point. It’s easy, but a lot of work is put into it. Just mix a great number of things that applies to your blog and use it for a broader niche.

Also, try to create a unique angle out of your article. It helps! Limiting your audience to have a unique topic is perfectly fine. With that, more readers will get to know about your site quicker and it helps you stand out in the crowded blogosphere.

Get more recognition rather than just being yet another cliché blogger!

Interactivity

Social media widgets can increase traffic to your blog site

People, just like you and I like to feel heard. It’s a basic human desire for social interaction, to feel heard and understood. What better way to curb this want than through the myriad of social media widgets available.

Having a simple Facebook share button or a Twitter retweet button does not only make it easy for readers to share content with their friends but also increases traffic to your site. Your content goes viral with a simple click and before you know it, new readers are streaming into your site for more.

But keep in mind that interactivity is not just limited to social media widgets but also in the way your style of writing. Be conversational, just like how you would talk to a friend. Speak to the reader and not at the reader. Learn to cultivate asking questions in between your content to be more engaging and content in form of videos or picture are another way to increase interactivity.

Layout & Design

All of us would have left a blog with a messy or cluttered layout at least once before. Yes, the design of a blog is very important. It gives the first impression to the reader, just like how you give your first impression to others when they first see you.

First thing you should think about is the colours and theme you are going to use. Choose a colour which will not be too distracting for the reader, something light and easy. Pick one or two of your favourite colours which will go well together (Blue and yellow would be my choice) and work on it.

The colours and theme we have for TheHumannequin ourselves

Next up would be the user-friendliness of your blog. A lost reader would most likely end up clicking the ‘X’ button at the top of the web page or find another site to visit. Make sure that the important links or buttons of your blog are placed prominently and are easy to find.

An example of tabs you should include for a travelling blog Source: Our partner, WonderWanderers

Fulfil these two main points and you are good to go for this factor. Don’t forget to suit the design of your blog to your style to make it unique and fun so that readers would go ‘wow!”

Understanding Online Behaviour

Attracting web readers to read your articles is a do-or-die decision. Five seconds is all you have to impress and grab your reader’s attention; which proves a point that web readers have very short attention span. Call them indolent or apathetic; it is unlikely for web readers to click more than three times to reach the designated page. Hence, crafting an accessible web page plays a huge responsibility in sustaining readership. In addition, what pull them in are not only saucy and controversial headlines, but straight forward and catchy ones. So, KISS your headlines; in other words Keep It Short and Simple.

A proficient blogger aspire their articles to Inform, Persuade and Entertain the readers. However, what one fails to understand is that the secret formula behind the trick is to write them in active voice. This enables interactivity. Not to forget that uncommon jargons could be your greatest enemy that acts as a barricade from you reaching your goal. Thus, avoid jargons which could confuse your readers.

We hope these tips are helpful and good luck! J

Labels: Writing tips