Forrester Research polled over 8,600 Internet users to find out why they log on to certain sites and why they go back to favorite sites. The result? Good content. It is the No. 1 reason people log on to the web and the top reason people return to a site.

Many sites invest their dollars in design and programming and neglect the content. You must have good design and excellent programming so that your site is easy to navigate, attractive and all the links work. But you also need good content.

How can you make your site more effective? Find out how web content follows the same rules as print media and how it differs. For instance - How do people read on the Net?

They don't. They scan the page picking out words and sentences that grab their attention. In a study done by Jacob Nielsen he found that only 16 percent of users actually read word for word. Pages and pages of text quickly prompt a click out of your site. And they don't have to go looking for another book or magazine to read, your competitor is only a click away.

Make your pages a quick, easy and interesting read. Make it scannable by using

• highlighted keywords
• hypertext links
• sub-headings that are relevant
• bulleted lists
• get their attention in the first few words of a paragraph
• one idea per paragraph
• half the words you would in conventional writing

Good writing and useful information are what makes a site "sticky" (holds the visitor's attention). Good information also positions you as an expert in your field. What information can you provide to your users that will be valuable and immediately useful to them?

Writing for web is a whole new ball of wax. Get your communications staff trained on web writing or out source to a good web writer/editor.

More information on this subject:

Good Content Saves You Money!
by David Strom's
http://webdeveloper.internet.com/opinion/opinion_good_conten t.html

How Users Read on the Web
by Jacob Nielsen
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html

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