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Copyright 2005 Bob Haslam This article may be freely used as long as the author's information and links are retained and the content is not altered.
I spend a lot of time looking for quality articles to use on my own site and write some also. Writing articles is a great way to get free traffic to your web site-if you do it right. Too bad that nearly half the articles that are written do not perform that task very well. They clearly fail to keep the reader in mind. I'll list some major article writing mistakes that I routinely run across. These can render your web articles next to useless:
1. Writing articles without any real content. People that search for articles have a need to know. They are looking for real information to solve a problem or answer a question that they need fulfilled. Writing an article that is a blatant advertisement does not solve the readers immediate problem. All it does is waste the readers time and rarely results in a click-thru to your site. The overwhelming majority of readers will click off of your article the minute they realize it is an ad-without visiting your site. Worse than that is the fact that you actually signed your name to the article-and it may be floating around on the web for years to come. The reader's desire was not fulfilled and your name is not remembered in the way it should be. Your credibility with the reader takes an immediate downturn. Instead, put your advertisement on the web page that your link at the bottom of the article leads to. On your web page, you will be able to add graphics, charts and whatever else you need to get your sales point across-and you won't irritate your target audience.
2. Failing to spell and grammar check the article before posting it. Proof-read your work. An article that you write may be the only contact that a potential customer has with you. We all know what first impressions are like-they last a long time in most people's minds and are difficult to reverse. Articles with a lot of mistakes look like they were written by an amateur-even if you're not one. No matter how good the content is, your credibility will be questioned, even if only subconsciously, when you make mistakes. That extra 5-10 minutes of proof-reading could really pay off for you if your article is interesting.
3. Failing to add your contact information. It amazes me to see how many articles are posted without any contact information. If your article should peak the interest of the reader, it didn't do either one of you any good if you forgot your contact information. The whole purpose of writing an article is to impress readers with useful information and to hopefully drive some targeted traffic to your web site. That is another powerful reason why it is important to proofread your work before you post it.
4. Making unbelievable claims in your article. Absurd statements in your article do not help your credibility. Something like "one billion visitors to your web site in the next 24 hours" is not going to gain a lot of trust. It does just the opposite-raises a red flag in the reader's mind and creates instant buyer resistance. Anyone that is smart enough to search for information is not going to be dumb enough to fall for a statement like that. Don't underestimate the intelligence of your readers. Many of them will remember you and not take any other articles that you write seriously. There is also a darker side to making wild un-substantiated claims in an article or on your web site. You may get some unwanted attention from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC enforces "Truth in Advertising" laws among others. They have a special fondness for web sites that advertise money making schemes and have shut down a few with disastrous results for the owners.
5. Posting your article before your web site even goes up or typos in your contact link. As unbelievable as it sounds, this happens all too frequently. There are few things more irritating than reading a good article and going to the link at the bottom of the page only to find the web site under construction or the link is dead. You have not only wasted the readers time, but your own time as well. Your web site or links should be in place before you start writing and posting articles-unless you like wasting precious traffic and your reader's time.
Before you write an article, ask yourself one question. How will this benefit the reader? If you have a hard time answering that question, then you should re-write your article. With information overload overwhelming all of us, good-quality content that your readers can benefit from will create a win-win situation. They win the information that they were seeking, and you win the targeted traffic.
About the Author
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Bob Haslam runs several niche sites including
http://www.yourprofitbiz.com
The site has web articles, a manual submission page, and popular shopping links.
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