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You don't have to
be a writer to have a content-rich website. Here's how:
- FAQ pages.
FAQ pages are the easiest content for non-writers to develop. Assuming
the main topic of your website is an area of strong interest and expertise,
search out the best forums on your topic, then start looking for questions
to answer. In simple language, answer those questions, being careful
to get the spelling, grammar, and punctuation right. Before you leave
the message board, copy off the question and your answer. Tweak the
results to remove any personal or irrelevant info, and you have your
first FAQ. A FAQ page that's about as long as this article, is just
the right size for an original content page for your site.
- Web site reviews.
Everybody offers links. Long pages of short links do next-to-nothing
for your page rank, but shorter pages of long links make good content.
Choose a few sites with lots of hidden resources and share what you've
found. As with FAQ pages, you don't have to be an eloquent writer. Just
tell your readers what great stuff you found on those sites, and add
a few deep links if it helps. Give a few examples of how to use that
site, effectively, and move on. [Remember to use the "_blank"
property in the links, so your visitors will come back to your site
when they follow your links, then close those windows.]
- Web resource
tutorials.
It's amazing what a poor job most web sites do when it comes to explaining
their services to beginners. It seems like the more they have to offer,
the worse it gets. If your visitors will be leaning heavily on some
other site, like eBay, PayPal, one of the GPT or HYIP sites, an affiliate
network like Commission Junction or LinkShare, or any other complex
site or software package, use your expertise to write a simple tutorial.
Keep it well-organized, with lots of short bullet points or a numbered
list like this one. Use as few easy-to-understand words as you can--web
readers don't do well with long paragraphs. Include lots of links if
it will help. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. If the site you're
writing about offers any kind of FAQ or helpful hints, link to them.
If some of what your readers need has already been written up somewhere
else, link to that info.
- Behind the scenes.
You'd be amazed at how many people still no nothing about what it
takes to develop and maintain a website. Many of these folks are really
interested in how it all works. Regardless of the main purpose of your
site, a "behind the scenes" page, explaining how you do what
you do, may be of interest to a large portion of your visitors.
- Share your resources.
Whatever the purpose of your website, think about your major resources,
then visit their websites and do some digging. Most major manufacturers
and service companies have loads of free consumer information on their
websites that most people aren't aware of. Your customers should appreciate
a resource page, with explanations and deep links directly to the information
you want to share.
None of these ideas
require creative writing talent. These are no-nonsense content categories
where your web site visitors only expect the information to be helpful,
accurate, and presented clearly.
Web
Developers
If
developing web sites is your business, click here
for a whole section
of tools and tutorials for webmasters and developers--beginners welcome.
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