Design / Usability

4 Powerful Web Content Ideas that Don't Depend on Text Alone Nick Usborne - Aug 17, 2010

Think of some of the most popular websites on the planet...YouTube, Facebook, Flick, Yahoo! They are not just about text. Even Twitter, while delivering text, does it very small nibbles of 140 characters or less.

Put simply, the days when the web was all about text, and only text, are over. It's not that text is no longer important online. It is. For most websites, quality text content is still absolutely essential.

But as you think about the next page you plan to write, ask yourself whether there is some other element you can add to that page. Maybe something visual. Maybe something interactive. Maybe both.

The point being, the growth in social media has given us an invaluable insight into what web users really want. They want to contribute, they want to share, and they want to become involved online in a way that text alone cannot deliver.

Here are just four ways in which you can supplement the text on the page with something visual or interactive.

1. Include Videos

Web users spend a huge amount of time watching videos online. Some of these videos are entertaining, some are instructional and some are just plain silly.

For your website, you need to figure out what kind of videos would best meet your visitors' needs.

On a couple of my own sites I use video very successfully by adding short clips as an introduction to pages which also contain plenty of text. I use both text and a video on the page.

As an example, on one site I have a page about how to choose a single serve coffee maker. There are about 400 words of text on the page. And at the top, between the headline and the first paragraph, I have a video demonstrating how a single serve coffee maker works, and how to use it.

The video works as a great way to grab attention and get people involved with the page. It also provides a useful overview and introduction to the topic of the page.

Once I have hooked people with the video, it is easier to hold their attention as they read through the body of the text.

When adding video, I use a service which, like YouTube, allows my readers to share the video by email or through social media.

2. Include Slideshows

A slideshow is an online version of a PowerPoint presentation. Again, when I use them I generally don't create a page just for the slideshow. I place it beneath the headline of a page which also includes some text.

The slideshow acts as an introduction or executive summary of what people will read in the text.

As with video, a slideshow is a great way to hook your readers and get them involved on the page.

One thing a slideshow can do that a video doesn't do is to demand a level of interaction from the reader. I never put my slideshows on auto-forward. I want the reader involved. I want him or her to click on the arrow for the next slide -- to be part of the process forward.

When adding slideshows I use Slideshare.com. This allows me to embed the slideshows on my site -- and enable my readers to email to show or share it through social media.

3. Include a Comments Function

Everyone knows you can enable comments on a blog. But did you know you can add a comments function to just about any website?

If your website platform doesn't include the ability to add comments at the end of each page, you can use an outside service like Disqus.com or Google Friend Connect.

Why bother?

Because as soon as people know they can contribute to your pages, they are more likely to come back and read what others have written. They are also more likely to Tweet your pages.

In addition to creating a richer experience for your readers, comments also give you some valuable insights into the minds, interests and priorities of your readers.

The more comments you read, they more ideas you'll have for writing new pages to address your visitors' interests.

4. Include a Poll or Survey

Again, even if your platform doesn't include a function for adding polls and surveys to your site pages, you can always use an outside service like SurveyGizmo.com. You create the poll or survey and then just add some code to your site pages.

There are a few benefits to adding a poll or survey to your site.

First, they engage your readers. They make people pause and think. They also make your readers curious. The most popular link on most surveys is the See Results link. People love to know whether other people agree with them.

Second, you will learn a huge amount about your readers. Create multiple polls and surveys over the next 12 months and you'll be amazed by what you learn. Apply that learning and you'll be writing much better content for your site.

One thing about polls and surveys to note is that you'll get much higher participation if you keep them short. Polls are short and simple by definition. But surveys should also be kept short and simple. If you have multiple questions to ask, spread them over a number of different surveys at different times.

Again, when I use polls or surveys I also have text on the page. I use the text to create a context for the readers -- to make them think about their answers - and also to let the Googlebot know what the page is about.

Final Thoughts

Social media is growing fast because it has tapped into what people really want from the web. People want engagement, they want to participate, they want to share.

So if you want to add some extra life to your content pages, don't make them 100% text -- add elements which invite engagement, participation and sharing.

Nick Usborne is an authority on writing for the web. His site for online writers and copywriters, nickusborne.com, includes dozens of articles and posts on writing web copy and content, plus access to his many books, programs and services.