Writing articles with penThink you need to be a professional to write articles for your website? Think again. You can draw from your experience to create a series of online articles to achieve publicity and subsequent sales. The payoff may be greater than you think.

But before you write a single word, start thinking like an online marketer. Consider these seven points about online articles, and then begin writing:

1. Sticking power

Web articles have amazing sticking power. Once you post them online, anyone can find them at any time through blogs, search engines, e-mails or websites that link to them. And they’re out there for as long as you have your website.

2. Improve your search engine rankings

Links from other sites to your articles, or your articles on other sites linked back to your website, improve your organic (free) search engine rankings. To leverage this advantage, allow other sites to run your articles as long as they agree to link back to yours. Compare that with offline articles that have no affect on search engines.

3. Immediate prospects

Web articles draw prospects to your website immediately. Compare that to an offline article whose readers might not have a computer handy. You better hope they find your article so helpful they will remember to contact your company later.

4. Research first

Before you write, do your homework. There’s no point saying the same thing as everyone else. That won’t bring in new business. Look up articles on similar topics, and find a new angle.

5. Tips and tricks

Helpful information attracts potential customers and will endear them to do business with you. For example, you could write a how-to article that gives readers a project to complete. Or draw on your experience to present helpful tips and tricks that save your readers money.

6. Debunk common practices

Or you could debunk common practices promoted in other online articles. Creating a little controversy, provided you can prove why your suggestions are better or more profitable, could generate online attention and a flow of readers to your site.

7. Share, don’t sell

Finally, to woo customers, share, don’t sell. Each article you write should enrich your readers in some way. This is not the place to pitch your company or its products or services. That’s your byline’s job (the info at the end of the article that includes your name, brief company information and your site’s URL address).

BOTTOM LINE: Share a few secrets with the Web world, and readers will follow you to your business.

Need help creating articles to your website? Contact us today, or call 281-217-0656.

Safari MultiMedia is your full-service Web partner offering smart online solutions for businesses of all sizes. Our cost-effective and easy-to-update websites will help you build relationships and boost profits.