Okay, so you have written hundreds of articles for tabloids and newspapers and have even got a couple of books published. Does that make you a good writer for content on websites? Well, not necessarily! A content writer needs to be much more dynamic than a writer for the print media. Don't be shocked, but that's the undeniable truth. Articles written for the Internet have a definite grammar and language of their own.



When you write for the print media, you do tend to play around words a lot. Rarely has an article been written for Sunday tabloids without a pun in them. Such writers are wordsmiths in the real sense of the word. They play around words to create effect. However, can this be done on the Internet? Certainly not!

Internet articles need to be different because the readers on the Internet are a different breed. These are people seeking information on various issues; they are not typing keywords and searching stuff for amusement. When you are looking for information, that's all you want. You can do without literary skills there. In fact, decorative language would mask the real information you want to give to the reader. The result ? the reader would just back out and click on some other site. And they would make sure not to visit your site or read your article the next time round.

So, an Internet writer must use a different kind of ?language?. Our experience with Internet writing enables us to summarize for you some of the important aspects of the language to be used. Here they are:-

1. Keep your language clear-cut ? Your article must have the tone of teaching something. This is best achieved with a simple language without the use of idioms and figures of speech. Speak to the point without frills.

2. Converse with the reader ? This is the sign of a good internet writer. Use ample instances in your article where you directly speak to the reader. On the internet, using the pronouns ?you? is a very good way of writing articles. By doing this, you are referring to the reader in person. The reader feels important. Consider this ? If you write ?One needs to decide the best option?, you are writing a general sentence. But if you write ?You need to decide the best option?, you are making the article personal.

3. Make the reader think ? This is a very effective way to pique the reader's interest. After you put in a fact, try asking a question if it suits the context. This will make the reader think, at least subconsciously, about the issue. Your article will hit home and this is the effect you wanted in the first place.

4. Use a neutral point of view wherever possible ? Most articles written on websites would do well if they are written from a neutral point of view, i.e. the writer should not take sides. The job of the writer is to tell the reader about the pros and cons and then leave the decision in their hands. However, if you are writing a self-help, decision-making or a how-to article, then it is better to put in your perspective. In such cases, the reader would want to know an expert point of view.

5. Do not use unverified facts and weasel words ? Some writers write facts that are unsupported by any kind of research just in order to build up on their word count. This is not only unethical, but it may also have dangerous repercussions. You may write a fact and then elaborate on it; that is acceptable. But writing something totally unverified is definitely forbidden. Also, weasel words must be avoided. Weasel words are those words, which make the sentence seem vague. This is a ploy used by some readers to be on the safe side. Consider this example: ?Several parents in Idaho have bought bikes for their children?. Even an amateur can understand that this is a vague sentence that is unsubstantiated by statistical fact. After all, how much exactly is ?several?? Phrases like ?many would think?, ?one would suppose?, ?a majority of Chinamen?, ?they would most likely back out?, etc. are weasel words. They are only speculation on part of the writer and not solid fact.

Conciseness and accuracy are two of the most important aspects when you are writing articles for websites. You must have the purpose of your article in mind ? and most often that purpose is to sell some product. Your language in the article must be directed in that way ? it should equip the reader with relevant information and also make them interested in the product being sold.