Title



The title of an article is the first component of the article that a reader notices. Because of this, special attention should be used in creating the title of an article. The most effective article titles are descriptive and concise. The title of the article should be descriptive enough to communicate the main idea of the article it is referencing, but it should do so in as few words as possible. Article titles should also be unique. A title such as ?This Wild Week on Wall Street? is much more effective in catching and holding a reader's attention than a generic title such as ?Weekly Wall Street Recap.? A thesaurus can be a very useful tool for finding words to use in article titles that are descriptive and unique.

Article Form

The majority of articles are written in one of two forms: paragraph or point. Each form can be useful and appropriate for different topics and purposes. News, opinion and descriptive articles are normally written in paragraph form. Articles written in paragraph form fit well on blogs and information rich web sites. It is important to make sure your topic is appropriate for paragraph form, otherwise, you run the risk of causing your readers to lose their interest. Because of this, many web sites prefer to use articles in point form. Point form is especially useful for articles with very specific points. It can also be used in conjunction with descriptions of products. However, point form should not be used for articles that are to be used on scholarly or journalistic web sites.

Article Flow

An article, whether written in paragraph or point form, should normally be written in chronological order. Similar to sentences, by writing an article that begins with older information and leads into newer information, it is much easier for a reader to follow and comprehend an article. If you are writing an article on a specific product, it is most effective to begin with broad and general information, and gradually provide more specific information. For example, if you are writing an article describing a specific MP3 player, it is most effective to begin by describing broad characteristics such as storage capacity and playback features, and then gradually transition towards characteristics like specific measurements or compatible operating systems.

Wrapping up the article

The conclusion of an article is just as important as the title of the article. The title needs to be unique and concise so it grabs the reader's attention, while the conclusion should offer something interesting or exciting for the reader to walk away with. A solid conclusion to an article can make a reader remember and talk about an article, while a generic ending will lead to the reader quickly forgetting about the topic of the article.