If so far we have made an introduction about content and pointed out the differences between creating texts for print and online, starting with this article I will talk about the content itself and the characteristics it must have. They are not few, I admit, but without them our texts would be just words strung together without any meaning or purpose. Rules and small guidelines are always welcome, and the top 10 features I’ll discuss throughout the next parts of this article.
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Structure
Most of the things that surround us have a clearly defined structure. Then why wouldn’t our content have? Obviously, we don’t have to do something just for everyone to do, but in content writing this aspect is a necessary one. There are certain things we need to do before we start writing (we discussed them in more detail in Why do we write differently for online? Part I). The structure of the text, and implicitly of the page, is one of the most important. The end user must understand what we want to convey and be able to read without having to make an extra effort. It is not necessary for this structure to be drawn or written somewhere, but it is recommended.
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Relevance and usefulness
What would happen to a text if it wasn’t relevant and useful to someone? Obviously, it would get lost in the multitude of texts that the internet contains, and we, the content creators, have work in vain. A written article, regardless of its length and the audience we are addressing, must be useful. The user will always look for the information that answers his questions and curiosities . When our reader does not find the information he is looking for, he will leave the site, and we will not be able to achieve our goals.
