Content Is King

What makes a good web site? Cool graphics help; interactivity impresses; a nice layout counts; but for me, content is still the most important element. After all, most people go on the internet not to experience visual pleasure but to seek information on topics that interest them.

Obviously, it does not follow that a web site which has some kind of content is already a model web site. It also is incorrect to think that a site with any content, good layout and interactivity is automatically a great site. The truth of the matter is not all content is perfect for the web. Below are some insights that would help a webmaster choose the content to include in a web site.

At least for GeoCities web sites, the worst kind of content is the "membername not moved in yet" sign. Sites with such a sign are usually those that have been neglected by their owners. As such, the sites merely occupy GeoCities web space and addresses that could be given to people who would really make good use of the space. Aside from leaving a bad impression on site owners, pages with the sign just waste the time of users as the latter will not get any useful information from the former.

Yet another no-no is having content that is too brief. A perfect example of this is a Michael Jordan site that only has one picture and several links to other sites about the basketball star. A user, especially a Michael Jordan fan, going to such a site would certainly just have wasted precious internet time. At the very least, a proper Michael Jordan site should have an introduction page (so that those that do not know the basketball legend will not be out of place), a biography page and a small gallery of pictures aside from links to sites about the basketball star. A statement of the reason why the site owner likes the star must likewise be present. Webmasters should always make sure that the content in their site will satisfy the information needs of most users.

Now that the taboos regarding content have been stated, a final word on good content is in order: Perhaps the secret to the most famous web sites on the internet today is that they have topics that are unique (or at least the way they tackle the topics are unbridled) but are of general interest to the common web user. As an example, although a page about the history of paper clips would be unique, most web users would not be interested about it. So to have good content, it is not only important that a topic be discussed well but it is equally as important that the topic be interesting.

Note that the tips above are just some of the ways to effectively design a web page. More will come during the succeeding editions of this column. In the mean time, for quality web page help and tutorials, please drop by the SouthBeach Tutor.

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Last update: May 21, 2000

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