- Attract – This includes methods used to draw an audience to a website.
- Inform – The site needs to provide helpful and practical information to users.
- Retain – The information should evolve and change to keep the interest of a user.
Steps to Develop Effective Content
If you are seeking a content provider for your website, or publication, you need to have specific goals in mind. For example, do you want to increase retail sales, or garner a large audience? Once you know your goals, you can start outlining specific plans to reach them. You need to convey these goals to your content provider, who will in turn create text to help you realize your short- and long-term objectives.
A content provider will follow these steps:
- Define a target audience – This step includes determining the audience for whom the website is designed. The text should be worded to appeal to this group of individuals.
- Develop quality content – This involves providing copy that is relevant and up-to-date. It also includes securing a top position in the popular search engines so that more people will visit the website.
- Use web-friendly writing style – This includes using shorter paragraphs and clear, concise sentences. The text should be easy to read and visually appealing to the user.
- Create text in a timely manner – The content provider should possess the skills to complete copy in a timely manner. Websites need to be updated on a continual basis to remain newsworthy and effective.
- Keep an eye on the competition -- This step includes having an awareness of competing websites and publications. There should be an effort to provide text that will give the client an edge on the competition.
In addition to website content, some content providers complete text for speeches, technical reports, journal articles, product descriptions, brochures, and newsletters, as well as provide graphic arts, photography and printing services.
Tools
Content providers use the latest tools to produce effective text, which can include some or all of the following:
- Macromedia Dreamweaver
- Macromedia Flash
- Macromedia Fireworks
- Microsoft FrontPage
- JavaScript
- HTML
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Premier
By Heather Brunson
