There’s one thing you must admit if you want to have a stickier blog or site: most people don’t have the patience to read large blocks of text.

Pay attention to your own online reading habits. How do you react when you see long paragraphs? Don’t you feel discouraged to read on? Don’t you prefer reading shorter paragraphs? Even if you do feel comfortable reading long blocks of text, keep in mind that you’re the exception. The general Internet audience has different tastes. And in order to succeed as a webmaster or blogger, you must take into consideration the browsing and reading preferences of your visitors. Read the rest of this entry »

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How can you choose the best headline — or at least the most appropriate one — for each article? I’m going to offer some suggestions that may help you make a decision next time you write a new post.

Why should I care about writing deadlines anyway?

Because each article’s headline is like an ad.

The headline is obviously the very first thing readers will see. If it doesn’t catch their attention, you’ll be in trouble. Some readers will proceed to read the article descriptions or excerpts available on search engines and social media sites, even when a headline doesn’t look particularly interesting. But many won’t do it. If your headline doesn’t make they feel compelled to read on, you’ll lose them.

Of course, the whole article must be good, not only its title. But then again, a good article without a good headline may pass unnoticed.

How is a good headline like?

While it depends on your audience — not all types of readers will react equally to the same titles — , it’s safe to say that the best headlines are the ones that let your readers know in advance what your articles are about. It’s a matter of usability: people feel more comfortable when they know what they are going to see after clicking on a link. Read the rest of this entry »

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