How to Write Articles for the Web: 7 Tips

How to write articles for the web: 7 tips

Let me start off by saying that writing is not a skill that you can acquire by enrolling in a university or by reading an e-book (God, what will they think of next?) or even an article that gives you tips. It is an art in itself. As thoughts are accumulated in the mind and are converted into words, the result can be seen on paper. That’s writing. But what we are talking about over here is a totally different subject. We are talking about writing for the web. The web or the virtual world is an extremely fast paced highway where patience is a virtue. Every average netizen (a citizen on the internet) has an extremely small attention span of 30 seconds to 60 seconds. If you are successful in holding the attention of the reader for this time duration, then you have won half the battle. The chances that he will read your complete article are increased manifold. Are you still reading this? Well, then I have managed to hold your attention for about 30 seconds now. See, it’s simple really.

Tip 1: Simple but attractive

This is the most overlooked fact about writing for the web. The copy needs to be simple but attractive. When I say simple, I mean that the copy should be focused on the subject, should be easy to read and grasp and should be meaningful and presented well. For example, if the reader is looking for information on ‘King Kong’ and you write a complete article with several references on how you were obsessed with the thought of an overgrown Gorilla tickling you, chances are that the reader will close the page in 10 seconds and curse you for making him read that. He needs information on King Kong, so give it to him first up. You can then go on with your creative bursts in the later part of the article. Did I forget to mention the importance of the headline? Its headlines that sell in the print media and headlines rule in the virtual world too. It should be power packed and strong.

Tip 2: Quality Research

If you are writing an article on a subject that you are not familiar with, then you better log on to Google. Make sure you have enough material to create a write up before you go ahead. The subject and the article progression should be clear in your mind before you even type the first word. And what if you do not find enough research material? Well, then it’s up to you. Remember the example in Tip 1 about King Kong?

Tip 3, 4 and 5: Do not Copy

I simply cannot emphasize the importance of this point. Please do not copy the work of some other writer. There are enough copy cats on the internet who simply re-arrange the words of some other article and make it their own. However, now there is software in place to counter this. Plagiarism will be detected immediately. So please do not even bother.

Tip 6: Converse, not dictate

Keep an open and friendly conversational tone throughout the article and the reader will connect with you. Do not keep a monotonous tone and use long tedious sentences in the article. It makes a very jarred reading experience.

Tip 7: The reader’s point of view

After you have written the article, read it from the reader’s point of view. Do you think that you have written a good article? How would you rate it if you were a reader? Did it serve the purpose that it was written for?

Remember; always conclude your article on a friendly and informal note.