Readers want web content to be interesting, relevant and informative. Creating content that is both high quality and stimulates your readers means that you need to know who is viewing your content.

Create a profile

Find out what demographics your typical website visitor. By acquiring statistics on what gender, age, race etc. the people are who are reading your content, you can begin to tailor what they see to them. By tailoring content, it is likely to improve the probability of the reader returning to your website.

Collecting this information is simple, you allow your readers to fill in an on line survey.

The profile statement

After you have found out the answers to your questions write a profile statement. An example statement is:

‘Male between 22 and 34 and earning an above average salary. A university graduate of above average intelligence, interested in technology, supports the Conservative party and reads the Times.’

Though some readers will fall outside of this profile, your web content should be aimed at this typical visitor.

Targeted content

Whenever you write web content, having a profile in mind makes it easier to write content targeted to those persons’ interests.

The style of your content should be influenced by the profile. If you are writing to older conservative readers, then the style will tend to be more formal than content for younger readers. The younger generation will accept slang expressions and a more colloquial style.

Writing for a professional audience is different than writing to the general reader. If you are writing to say, doctors, then you know that they will be familiar with medical terminology, whereas medical terms may need to be explained for the general reader.

Connecting with your readers is vital if you want your web content to be effective.

Sarah