Generating Winning Content

In the viciously competitive abyss that is the Internet, it is easy for top notch content to go unnoticed or to be ignored. There is no use in having sterling content if nobody knows that it's there. So, before you upload content for live consumption, how can you make sure that you've given it a fighting chance?

Amidst the tide of technological advance and digital discovery, there is a risk of forgetting the most vital, but least glamorous, ingredient of the user experience: content. As the Net becomes increasingly polluted by spam, sales talk and jargon, quality content is becoming a rarity. People use the Internet to find information, and until the 'Net becomes a more visual medium (which could take some time), content will remain its central commodity. And anyway, high-tech capabilities and flash gizmos will never compensate for poor content.

Online content is not static. An organic process, content's life source relies on marketing and distribution. In the viciously competitive abyss that is the Internet, it is easy for top notch content to go unnoticed or to be ignored. There is no use in having sterling content if nobody knows that it's there. So, before you upload content for live consumption, how can you make sure that you've given it a fighting chance? Here are some pointers:

Understand the Importance of Content Itself

Everybody knows how important a firm's brand is. It can make or break a company's reputation. By defining and describing products, content builds brand, and a brand is only as good as its supporting content. In big companies with extensive product sets, there are often many teams working on the one Web site - which can cause chaos and content problems for customers and users. Shrewd content management is needed to bring order to potentially inconsistent content.

Understand Online Reading Habits

When developing content for the web, it is crucial to think of the user as a reader. Online readers differ from offline readers in a variety of ways. The online reader is focused and impatient. He or she comes to the Web searching for specifics and has not got time to waste. Time is the online reader's most precious possession, so content should be presented in such a way that makes it easy to scan-read - cut down on words, highlight key points and use bulleted lists as much as possible. At the risk of breeding paranoia, content managers ought to assume that the user is always about to leave. If one can operate from this brink, it becomes possible to dissuade the user from leaving. Successful publishers need to ask the key questions: who is my reader? How can I best construct interesting content for that reader?

Tailor Content to the Audience

Given that content can be developed for a variety of purposes - intranet, extranet or the Internet, it needs to be adjusted accordingly. Intranet content should enable staff to do their job better and should be as clear, concise and timely. Extranet content, mostly used by suppliers, distributors and customers, will offer more scope for the use of common language conventions and abbreviations. A public Internet website should contain content that will help sell more products, offer support regarding the company's existing products, encourage prospective employees, and instil confidence in investors.

Lastly, and most importantly of all, content should be at the centre of the effort to provide quality user experience online. As a rule, content is what the user comes to see, meaning that any other innovation or development should be judged by how well it supports this basic requirement. The P.C's days are numbered, and, as the world goes wireless, there is a gaping need for quality content right across the broadband board. The discrepancy between technology and content must be bridged, as we head into the age of convergence.