In my previous articles, I have talked about some of the factors that you need to consider when you have to host your website. I have also talked about some of the elements of a good web design. In this article, I would like to talk about fifteen guidelines for creating effective web content. Follow me as we are going to look at that in this article.
Here are the guidelines…
#1 Clear and simple language
When you are writing your content for publishing, you have to make sure that you are writing in a simple and clear language. You should avoid the use of ambiguous words that will make it difficult for your user to understand the message that you are trying to pass across. You need to ensure that you also make use of short sentences when you need to write your article.
#2 One paragraph. One idea
Also, when you are writing your content, please you need to ensure that your ideas are not jammed together. You need to make sure that it is only one idea that is been discussed in one paragraph. This will ensure that the whole concept sank into the mind of your audience. Doing this will prove to your reader that you know what you are talking about. It will allow them to stay longer on your website.
#3 Descriptive subheadings
Also, if you want to write great online content, you need to adopt the use of descriptive subheadings that tells your users what a particular paragraph is talking about. This will enable the spiders to know what a particular paragraph is talking about. But you have to really indicate it that it is a subheading by using H2 or H3 headers.
In addition, if you are creating great web content for your website, you need to ensure that important words are highlighted and bolded so that users can reckon with those words. This will allow your users to know the key takeaway from a particular article. It will also allow the major points of a particular article to sink in the mind of your audience.
#5 Use Descriptive link text
Also, when you are trying to create online web content, you need to include links that relate to your previous articles. It is also ideal for you to link to articles that are outside your blog or website. Those links should be descriptive enough and they should be linked to articles that are similar to what is highlighted. This will help Spiders to understand your blog better. It will also reduce bounce on your website.
#6 Left Align Text
By and large, when you are writing your content, you need to ensure that your articles are aligned from the left to the right side. That seems to be the normal way for most languages. This also goes with the natural eye movement when people are reading content on websites. This will definitely assist spiders in understanding your content better.
#7 Visual alignment
Also, when you are creating your web content, you need to ensure that graphics are added in order to drive home your points. Adding graphics will also assist in conveying the messages that you are trying to pass across to your target audience but you need to ensure that the texts and the graphics work together. The two must be conveying the same message.
#8 Proper structure element
Also, when you are presenting your online content, you need to make sure that you are using a document structure that will make your article easier to understand. You need to make sure that the paragraphs are well arranged so that it will be easy for your users to follow your article.
#9 Use natural-sounding language
Also, when you are creating your online content, you need to make use of a natural-sounding language. You must write the content as if you are explaining to someone that already knows nothing about the topic being discussed. You must be persuasive enough when you are trying to present the idea to your target audience.
#10 Be direct with the audience
Also, when it comes to creating great content, you need to be direct with your audience. There is no need for you to cajole your audience. You need to try as much as possible to let them know that you understand their problem and you have what it takes to solve their problem. You must be able to convince your audience that you are an authority when it comes to resolving issues that have to do with your customers.
Also, as far as your customers and readers are concerned, you need to create tables that transform with different browsers. I have said it one of my articles that you should be mindful of using tables. You need to make sure that your tables are browser responsive. It should remain intact when that table is opened from different browsers.
#12 User interface
Also, you have to ensure that the user interfaces are accessible. When you are creating content, you need to make sure that your tabs and other elements that you need to access when you are on that particular page. If it is a website that people have to make payments to, you need to ensure that the payment buttons are available even on mobile phones.
#13 Page activation
Also, you need to make sure that you design device-independent page elements that can be activated through a variety of input devices. You can design your website to open different pages or contents based on the type of device that the user is using to access the content.
#14 Temporary accessibility solutions
Also, when it comes to accessibility and the design of your content, you need to make sure that you create temporary accessibility solutions for your content. That means, if it happens that the main content that the user is trying to access is not available, there should be a particular content that will be made available to users while they are waiting for the actual content to open.
#15 Contextual information
Also, you need to include contextual information that will allow your users to understand your content better. You should not present your content as if you are writing in parables. You need to ensure that you include examples and illustrations that will allow your readers to understand your content better.
11 Guidelines For Designing A Good Website
In my previous articles, I have looked at some of the facts that you need to consider when you are choosing a web hosting site. In this article, I want to talk about some of the guidelines for designing a good website. Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article.
Now the guidelines….
#1 Reputable websites
When it comes to designing a good website, you need to take time to examine other reputable websites and see what they are doing better. It is just like the saying that if you want to be successful in any area, you need to have a mentor. So also, if you want to have a good website design, you need to take time to study other reputable websites and emulate what they are doing.
#2 Attractive home page
One of the factors that you need to consider when it comes to building a reputable website is that you need to have an attractive Home page. You need to understand that most of the traffics that are coming to your website will be coming to your Home Page. If your Home page is disorganized, it is unlikely that the visitors will take time to check what you have on other pages.
#3 Appropriate colours
At times, when you have a colour riot website, you are going to blur the eyes of your readers. In order to drive traffic to your website and sustain your readers, you need to make sure that you have a colourful website. You need to ensure that you choose colours that complement your brand. Don’t just use colours that do not add up when you are creating a website.
#4 Necessary information
Also, you need to make sure that all the necessary information that you need to convince your audience to buy your product is placed on your Home Page. Just like I said, most of the readers will not go beyond your Home Page, That is why you need to ensure that your Home Page contains as much meaningful content as possible.
#5 Division
Also, when it comes to the arrangement of contents on your website, you need to divide the content into categories and subcategories. You need to ensure that it is very easy for your users to find what they are looking for. This will ensure that your customers are not distracted. They should be able to locate what they are looking for.
Also, when it comes to marketing your products and services, you need to add short and descriptive information about the products and services that you are trying to sell to your target audience. The information must not be too long in order not to bore your audience. Just put enough information that the prospect needs in order to decide whether they needed that product or not.
#7 Easy navigation
There is a need for you to provide easy navigation on your website. You need to divide your product into categories and subcategories. You also need to provide a search box that will allow your prospect to search for products that are not covered in your categories and subcategories. This will allow your readers to quickly locate products and services that they are looking for.
#8 Keep things simple
Also, when you are designing a great website, it is not about how sophisticated your website is, you need to learn to keep things simple. It is not able how colourful a website is, you have to try as much as possible to ensure that the website is useful. Once a website is useful and can provide what users are looking for, you can be sure that they will stick longer on that particular website.
#9 Small and simple graphics
Also, you need to make sure that you are using small and simple graphics. When the images on your website are too big then it will slow down the loading time of your website. Please make sure that you reduce the size of the images. This will allow having a compatible website that will load well across different browsers.
#10 Avoid unnecessary features
Also, when it comes to designing a website, the design of a website is not a moment for you to show that you are skilful in website design, you need to make sure that you only add features and plugins that are needed to perform functions on the website. Please do not add any skills.
10 Advantages Of Content Management System
When blogging started, it was difficult for many to blog because you need to have a working knowledge of HTML and other programming languages before you can code. That has become a thing of the past with the advent of WordPress and Blogger and other content management applications. In this article, I want to talk about some of the advantages of a Content Management System. Follow me as we are going to look at that in this article.
What is Content Management System…
A content management system is a system that is used to manage the content of a website. This is defined as the process of moving the web content to all phases onto the production site. To effectively use a content management system, we need to make use of Content Management Applications.
Content Management Application
Content Management Applications allows the content manager or author, who may not know HTML to manage the creation, modification and removal of the content from a website without the expertise of a webmaster.
Content Delivery Application
Content Delivery Application uses Content Management Application information and compiles that information for updating the website.
Also, you need to know that Content Management System can also provide tools for one to one marketing. They will allow the content developers to use tools that are available in the application to reach out to prospective customers with products and services that are likely to be interested in.
#1 Small commitment
I don’t know if you have ever created a website? I need to ask how long it takes you to develop that website or post. If you check a singular post on the website and you try to look at the programming version of that post, then you will appreciate what WordPress has done for you. I have seen a time that I have spent less than 45minutes creating a post. If I have had to write those posts in HTML, I would have spent several days creating those posts. It is content management that makes it easier.
Also, Content Management System also provides simple desktop tools that allow more people to contribute to your content. With just clicking a few buttons, it is now relatively easy for more authors to contribute to your website. It is also very easy for your users to share your content. There is also a provision of tools that allow enthusiastic readers to share your content as well.
#3 Well defined approval process
Also, content management systems and applications always have a well-defined approval process for content. It is not all contents that are posted automatically. You can define and dictate what happens to each of the contents that you have posted on your website.
#4 Large contributors
There are times that you may have many authors contributing to a blog or website. Without a Content Management System, it will be difficult to manage those content effectively. A good content management system will allow you to manage content from multiple authors such that the editing of content from a particular author will not affect other blog authors.
#5 Blog look
Also, a content management system and application will allow you to change the look and feel of a website at once without having to go from one page to another page. This will allow to collectively add new features to the design of a website through the use of plugins and other elements without going to the source code of the website.
#6 Consistent feel
As your blog or website grows, there are some elements on the websites that you will have to adjust in order to continue to meet the need of your growing audience. Having a good Content Management System at your disposal will allow you to have a look and feel on the website that is consistent with the brand image of the entire enterprise. This will allow you to maintain your brand reputation without breaking the bank.
#7 User experience
Due to the formidable marketing tools that come with the content management system, you will be able to gauge your user experience and determine how users will react to any of the changes that you are trying to make on your website. It will allow you to change one element at a time and determine how that change(s) will affect your users. This will help you to determine whether such changes should be made permanent or not.
#8 Reusability
Also, CMS will also contribute to content reusability. It will really assist the website owner to use old content for present-day marketing efforts. Let’s say that scenario has changed after you last used that content, CMS will allow you to re-use and edit that content in order to direct them towards new marketing goals.
Action Point PS: If you would like to have an online course on any of the courses that you found on this blog, I will be glad to do that on an individual and corporate level, I will be very glad to do that I have trained several individuals and groups and they are doing well in their various fields of endeavour. Some of those that I have trained includes staffs of Dangote Refinery, FCMB, Zenith Bank, New Horizons Nigeria among others. Please come on Whatsapp and let’s talk about your training. You can reach me on Whatsapp HERE. Please note that I will be using Microsoft Team to facilitate the training.
I know you might agree with some of the points that I have raised in this article. You might not agree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We will appreciate it if you can drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.
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Adeniyi Salau is a highly dedicated and committed Blogger of repute. He likes sharing his IT knowledge with others. My desire is to impact as many lives as possible with my IT skills. You can download my mobile APP. Download the ICTLOAD APP on Google Playstore. Thanks.
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