I started working as a web content writer back in 2008 for a web solutions company. It was basically where I was introduced to the world of web content writing and all things that form this world–keywords, SEO, PPC, Google SERP’s and the whole lot. I stayed with this job for over a year and during this time, I’ve written about almost every topic imaginable–from counterfeit Rolex watches to erotic accounts for online dating sites.

I quit the job when an opportunity came up to teach at one of the reputable colleges in the country. The job basically involved longer hours, more homework and a much lower salary. I live in the Philippines where many college graduates become call center agents, and call center agents are paid more than college professors so I wasn’t really all that surprised. The only thing that got me through these days was the fact that I instantly discovered that I loved to teach. To further my teaching career, I enrolled in graduate school and started to teach and study at the same time. That was when things started going haywire. For the sake of my health and sanity, I decided to give up teaching for the meantime and focus on earning my master’s degree as soon as humanly possible. But I still had to work and support myself, right? So I decided to start working as a web content writer again. However, this time, I decided not to work under a company and instead opted to take charge of my own assignments. By cutting down the middle man, not only will I get to deal with the client directly but I can also earn more.

So to make an already long story short, I am now working as a full-time web writer while pursuing my graduate studies. Here are the reasons why I decided to be a full-time freelance web writer that can help you make up your mind if you’re thinking about being one too.

1. Freelance writing lets me be my own boss.

If you ask me, that’s already enough reason right there! Seriously, getting to be my own boss is without a doubt one of the major perks of freelance writing. I don’t have to follow anyone’s orders (except directly from the clients of course), negotiate salaries and commissions or inform someone when I’m too sick or busy studying to work. This brings me to my second reason.

2. Freelance writing lets me decide when I work and for how long.

As a working student, a flexible working schedule is essential to me and that is exactly what freelance writing has given me. I’m basically a night owl which means I’m most productive at night so I basically begin working a little before lunch and stop just around dinner time. When I have graduate class or I simply want to spend my day doing something else, I just make up for the lost hours during the weekends. I can also break up my work day in fragments if I wish–work in the mornings and evenings and take the afternoon off for other errands.

3. Freelance writing doesn’t stress me out just to get to work.

Ask anyone who lives and works in Manila, and they will tell you that the traffic situation is enough to make one of your arteries burst each morning (the afternoon traffic is the same but by then you’ll be too numb and tired from work to feel). When I was teaching, I had to take the Metro Rail Transit to get to work. This means that each morning, I found myself squeezing and elbowing my way amidst a sea of women who are pushing and swearing at each other. Needless to say, this isn’t exactly a great start to the day. Since I started doing freelance web writing full-time, the only trip I had to take to get to work is to the dining table where I can set up my laptop. This also eliminate the stress of choosing what to wear, hurriedly putting on makeup and rushing through breakfast. I can start each morning in leisure and not worry about being late.

4. Freelance writing lets me spend more time with my children.

And by “children”, I mean two demanding and attention-seeking cats. I may not have kids of my own, but if you’re a mom then I imagine that this is obviously an important benefit for you! Many stay-at-home moms today are looking for a source of income that will still allow them to spend precious quality time with their kids and family. If this applies to you then you should seriously consider freelance writing.

5. Freelance writing lets you work from any place…

…as long as it has an internet connection. Ever seen one of those pictures where some lucky dude is sitting at some tropical beach, fruity drink by his side and his notebook on his lap? Well, that’s the idealized scenario that you can achieve once you become successful at freelance writing. Personally, I think it’s more efficient and ideal to have a home office set up and go on vacations and not work on them. That’s another thing by the way: since I don’t have a regular work schedule, I can basically book vacations any time of year and not contend with the high traffic of other vacationers.

6. Freelance writing requires less expenses.

Regular jobs require certain expenses for transportation, food and even clothing. With home-based freelance writing, your expenses merely add to your internet and electricity bills. You won’t have travel expenses, you don’t have to eat out for lunch (which we all know can be a regular major expense) and you don’t have to buy a wardrobe of clothes for the office.

So if you are seriously considering a career in freelance web writing then these reasons should be enough to encourage you. I probably made freelance writing sound like a dream job but keep in mind that even a dream has its own drawbacks. So stay tuned for my next article where I discuss things that you should know before you get into freelance writing.

Web Content Manager

In today’s Internet Age where the World Wide Web is becoming the primary space for business and informational transactions, the role of the web content manager has undoubtedly become even more significant. If you are thinking of becoming a web content manager or planning to hire one for your online ventures then read on to learn more about what web content managers do.

What are the basic tasks of a web content manager?

Also known as a webmaster, a web content manager typically begins by building the website from scratch. He accomplishes this via a coding language like HTML, as well as several plug-ins and applications. Once the site is live, the web content manager becomes responsible for putting content on the site. For instance, if he is managing a news website then his task will basically be putting together news articles, corresponding images and videos and uploading them on the site. In some cases, the web content manager also writes the content himself.

It will also be the web content manager’s duty to regularly update the site’s content. In the case of the news blog, fresh content will need to be added as the latest stories pour in. This may mean updating the site multiple times in one day.

What skills should a web content manager have?

Web content managers need to have a certain set of skills that can help them accomplish their various tasks. Although knowledge of HTML and other coding languages is a definite advantage, it is no longer a strict requirement. This is because there are now many web content management systems out there that make it possible to put together a site without knowing anything about coding. In this case, the web content manager will need to be highly familiar and proficient with the content management system that he is using.

Educational requirements will vary depending on the type of online publication the web content manager will work in. Some publications may require a college degree in a certain field, while some will put more importance on experience and portfolio.

Regardless of the type of industry, a web content manager will need to have good leadership and organizational skills. This is because he will generally be working with web designers, writers and other team members on a regular basis.

Website Content Management System

A web content management system is basically a software or computer application that helps administrators and publishers manage the site/sites they are running. The term “web content” here basically refers to everything contained within the site, including web pages, documents, images, videos and such.

The main benefit of a web content management system is that it allows you to build your website without requiring you to be an expert on HTML or any other type of coding language.

Offline Vs. Online Web Content Management

When searching for the right web content management system, you will come across two different types of applications: online web content management and offline content management. If you are not particularly tech-savvy then it’s generally better to go with an online web content management system. This is because an offline system will require you to have an FTP client and some technical know-how about servers.

An online content management system or CMS is much easier to use. It will also tend to have more functions. For instance, there are some CMS applications that allow you to easily publish web pages or incorporate digital content into your site.

Choosing a Web Content Management System

Given the significance of a web content management system in running a site, it’s obviously important to make sure that you are choosing the right system for your needs. Follow these guidelines to ensure that you select a CMS that will help you run your site most efficiently:

• Determine what your website does. The type of CMS you choose will firstly depend on the nature of your site. Are you planning to run a news blog that will publish the latest stories several times a day? Or are you planning to launch an e-store that will sell your products online? Different types of websites will require different CMS features.

• Do your research. As with every purchase you make, it’s important to do some extensive research before deciding on a particular CMS. Do not make the mistake of choosing a CMS based merely on its popularity or because it has the highest number of users. The largest following is not always a sign of the best quality. One of the best ways to conduct your research is by seeking feedback from site administrators that are already using the CMS you are researching.

• Look for quick installation and a simple and user-friendly interface. A web content management system is supposed to make managing a site easier so keep this in mind when choosing a CMS. A CMS with all the bells and whistles will still be of no use to you if its interface is too complicated and difficult to navigate.

• Check the system’s user community. When choosing a CMS, you might also want to consider the user community behind the system. Needless to say, it will immensely help if you have a forum you can join where you can voice out your concerns and gain feedback and assistance in return.

Keep these tips in mind when choosing a web content management system.

SEO can bring more profits to your business.

SEO is without a doubt one of the best online marketing tools available today. Once your site is ready for visitors, how do you go about attracting potential readers? SEO or search engine optimization is the answer.

What is SEO?

SEO basically refers to the steps you take in order to increase your website’s ranking in the search engine results’ pages. Search engines like Google and Yahoo use algorithms or programs in order to determine the ranking of a particular website. When your website is well-optimized, the more it is “favored” by search engines. As a result, your website gains more visibility by having a higher ranking than other similar websites.

Why Do You Need SEO?

If your goal is to attract as many visitors as possible to your site then SEO is one of the online marketing tools that you simply can’t afford to ignore. If you’re running an online business or using your website to promote a product or service then search engine optimization can certainly benefit you.

For instance, let’s say you are running a website that promotes your pest control services. Customers who are looking for pest exterminators online will be presented with pages of results from the search engine. Naturally, these customers are more likely to click on the websites on the first couple of pages of the search results. Why? Because these websites will be deemed as the most relevant since they are ranked first . If your pest control site is on the 17th page of the search results, it goes without saying that your chances of gaining new customers are low.

This leads to a simple equation: good SEO leads to better search engine ranking and better ranking leads to more success and profits for your business.

Phot credits: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Before writing your homepage, do some research about your target audience.

Writing a homepage is one of the first and most important steps in building a website. When writing content for your webpage, you need to keep in mind that you are writing the very first page that your visitors will see. In many ways, your homepage is the “make or break” part of your site. It is the page that can either entice your visitor to explore the rest of your website or it can simply encourage him to click out. Whether you are trying to write  a homepage for the first time you are trying to revise your existing content, make sure you avoid these common homepage writing mistakes.

1. Not doing research about your target audience. When it comes to web writing in general, it’s important to have a clear idea about the type of audience you are writing for.  This can be compared to making a speech in public. For your speech to become a success, it needs to be in line with your listeners’ interest and needs. For intance, profound anecdotes about family and parenting might appeal to a group of mothers but not to a group of teenagers. The same concept applies to writing your homepage. An effective homepage immediately grabs the interest of the reader. So before you write your homepage, make sure you do some research about your potential visitors.
2. Putting everything on your homepage. Now that you know how much your homepage can impact the success of your website, it’s natural to feel some pressure when writing for this page. You might even try to squeeze all your selling points into your homepage. This is a common mistake that you should avoid. Your homepage is not the place for you to discuss the history of your business or rave about how neat your product or service is. Save these details for the “About” and “Customer Testimonials” pages. Your goal in writing your homepage is to make a concise but powerful sell.  Let your visitors know right away that your website has what they are looking for and they will automatically explore your other pages.
3. Not updating your homepage. A static homepage is not exactly a major mistake but if you want to stand out from the rest of the competition then you might want to keep your homepage updated. This doesn’t mean that you should rewrite your homepage content every week. Instead, regularly add details to keep your homepage interesting. For instance, you can incorporate a “Tip of the Week”. Or if you have a new press release, you can put a teaser in the homepage that leads to the approriate link of the press release page. Not only will you keep your regular visitors interested but you can also boost your ranking since search engines love fresh and updated content.

Photo credits: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Its low cost and ease are some of the benefits of a business blog.

The benefits that a blog can bring to a business has been the topic of many online discussions and articles. If you are looking for a way to boost your business then building a business blog is definitely one of the options that you should consider. Read on to learn more about why blogging is good for business and the benefits you can enjoy.

1. Easy and fast set-up. One of the major benefits of starting a business blog is the fact that you don’t need any major technological background to get your blog started and running. There are now plenty of blog platforms online that are designed for people who are not web-savvy. The web also offers plenty of tutorials and articles that can help you learn anything about blogging – from the most basic concepts to more advanced techniques.
2. Low cost. Another benefit of using a business blog as a marketing tool is the low cost that comes with it. If you are looking for a marketing method that requires minimum capital and maximum return on investment then a business blog is certainly a winner. In fact, platforms like Blogger and WordPress.com allows you to get a free blog. However, if you want to build a more serious and professional blog, you will naturally have to invest some money along the way. Some of the fees that you can expect to pay is the domain registration and the monthly hosting fees of your blog. Fortunately, these basic fees cost no more than a few dollars each month.
3. Improved relationships with customers. Consumers love to do business with companies that they can trust. Thanks to the interactive nature of blogs, you can give your customers the chance to let their voice be heard. Your blog can be a destination where customers can ask questions, share experiences, express opinions and such. Setting up a forum or a Frequently Asked Questions section in your blog can even help you save time and effort in entertaining customers’ common questions and issues.
4. Instant customer research. Another commonly overlooked benefit of a business blog is the customer research opportunity that it can proivide you. Instead of investing time and money in surveys and other market reserach tools, you can simply use the comments, forum dialogues and suggestions in the blog to improve your product or service.
5. Transperency and expertise. Having a business blog also sets you apart from the competition by establishing you as an expert in your industry. Aside from this, a blog can also make your business more transparent so existing and potential customers can see what goes on behind the scenes. Transparent business operations inspire loyalty and trust in consumers.

These are some of the common benefits of having a business blog. What other benefits has your business blog brought you?

Photo credits: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Want to be a freelance blogger? Follow these tips and land your first writing job.

A freelance blogger is particularly in demand nowadays. Many webmasters and business owners often do not have the time or skills to write blog posts on a regular basis. Instead of hiring full-time bloggers, these employers prefer to outsource the work and look for a freelance blogger. If you wish to make the most of these opportunities, here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Create a powerful resume.

The first thing you need to do to get started on becoming a freelance blogger is to create your resume. A longer resume is not necessarily more impressive. Instead,

An employer looking for a blogger won’t care if you’re a hotdog eating contest champion or if you were the chess club president in high school–unless the employer runs a blog about hotdogs and chess. Stick to details that are relevant to your writing skills instead.

2. Build a portfolio.

A portfolio is a sure-fire requirement that you will need if you want to have a career as a freelance blogger. Employers would want to see your writing style and capabilities first so make sure you have your writing samples ready. If you have works that have been published online then it will be easy for you to refer potential clients to these web pages through links. You can also refer them to your blog if you have one. No portfolio to show yet? No problem. Simply write a couple of articles about general topics to show off your writing style.

3. Join an online marketplace for employers and freelancers.

For most starting freelance bloggers, the best place to find your first clients would be an online marketplace. Marketplaces such as oDesk connect employers and freelance contractors in one place, making it easier for both parties to find the people they are looking for. All you need to do is to create an account and an online profile to get started. After this, you can start applying to various writing jobs.

4. Secure your payment method.

Since freelance blogging is mostly an outsourcing job, chances are you will have clients from various parts of the world. This means you need a secure payment method through which employers can send your compensation for writing assignments. Consider opening a Paypal account. It’s easy, convenient and is a highly secure and trusted online payment method. Never start scouting for jobs unless you’ve secured a payment method first. Once you’ve scored a job, be sure to inform your client about your payment method.

5. Keep applying.

Landing your first job as a freelance blogger can be challenging but if you work hard enough, it’s almost a sure thing that you will get clients sooner or later. Keep browsing job posts and keep applying to gigs that you are qualified for. Chances are you will get a couple of responses for every ten applications but this is how it is for every beginning freelance blogger. Once you land that first job and you start gaining experience, your portfolio will grow as well and landing jobs will become easier and easier.

Photo credits: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You should hire a blogger if you don't have the time to write on your blog regularly.

Sometimes, maintaining a blog for your business can be a challenging task. If you already have a business blog or if you are planning to start one then you already know the benefits that a blog can bring to a business. If you’ve never contemplated starting a blog before, learn why you should start doing so here.

But alas! Not everyone is born a blogger, much less a writer. And what good is a blog if it doesn’t always have fresh and well-written content, a strong online presence and a following of loyal readers? This is where hiring a blogger comes in. Hiring someone to do a job that you are just as capable of doing may seem as attractive as throwing your hard-earned money down the drain. However, here are some signs why hiring a blogger might just be worth it.

1. You’re just not into writing. Not everyone has the talent for writing and even less has the patience or inclination to write. If the only writing you  do is to type in your log-in details for your email then writing 200 to 500-word posts a day will probably not appeal to you. Unfortunately, this is what successful blogging requires (especially if your blog is just getting off the ground). If you have to force yourself to sit down and write everyday, the lack of passion will be evident in your writing.

2. You don’t have time to blog. If you already have your hands full running your business, doing the paperwork, answering calls from customers and training your employees then maintaining a blog might not fit into your busy schedule anymore. Blogging requires plenty of time and dedication. When you hire an experienced blogger, you have more time to focus on your business and more free time to spend at your leisure. Even if you do manage to squeeze in some time to blog, the quality of your writing may end up suffering.

3. You’re not good at articulating. You know your business inside out and you know what makes it stand out from the rest of your competition. Now can you convince your blog readers? Writing any type of content for any business website requires a sort of ability to persuade. Your blog posts should be able to show readers that you are an expert in your field. A good blogger will be able to help you showcase your expertise.

Once you’ve decided to hire a blogger for your business blog, be sure you know how to pick the right one.

Photo credits: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A well-written blog post is the foundation of any good blog.

Whether you’ve started a blog to make money online or to create your own personal territory on the web, knowing how to make a good blog post is a trait that every newbie or veteran blogger must have. Gone are the days when blogs were considered as online diaries where your audience consisted of you and your friends. Today, the blog is seen as an evolving medium and a great way to reach thousands of people all over the world.

The web is chock full of blogging tips–from how to get your blog more optimized for search engines to building a community of loyal readers with your blog. Here, we narrow down these tips to what it takes to create the single most important foundation of a blog–a great blog post.

1. Write from the heart.

It may sound cheesy but it’s true. The first important rule in blogging is to write about things that interest you. Don’t choose a blog niche or topic just because it’s in demand. For instance, if celebrity gossip blogs are currently popular but you rarely watch TV and have never flipped through a celebrity tabloid or magazine then you might not be fit to write about this particular topic.

Remember that your best writing emerges when you are truly passionate about what you are writing about. Aside from that, writing about something that interests you also makes your job easier. Have you ever tried to write about something that you had little or no interest in? Didn’t it feel like you had to squeeze out each word or sentence just so you can have something to say? Didn’t you feel frustrated that you can’t reach the word count as fast as you’d like to? Not only did it take you a long time to write the post but you probably got tempted to resort to fluff just so you can reach your desired word count.

The opposite is true when you write about something you really care about. Words just flow out of your mind into the page and the only problem you come across with is trying to fit everything you have to say in a single blog post.

2. Develop your writing tone and style.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of blogs are debuting on the web every single day. This means that for an average blogger, it also gets more and more difficult to stand out. So if there are numerous other blogs that basically talk about the same topics that you do, how do you set your blog apart?

The answer can be found in the style of your writing.

If you’re basically writing for a living then you know all about writing style. If you’re a novice then style is basically that certain something that distinguishes you from other writers, that which gives readers the hint that you wrote the piece even before they see the author’s name. Writing styles can include dry humor, sarcasm, an ability to draw insight from seemingly mundane things and so forth.

If you don’t have a particular writing style yet, how do you develop one? One of the best ways to form your own voice is to learn from writers you admire. Simply put, if you want to be a good writer, you have to be a good reader as well. Read books, essays, journals and other blogs. Learn what you like and what you don’t as a reader. Learn how your favorite writers write. Basically, you should always be writing something that you can enjoy reading.

3. Give your post structure.

Internet readers are an impatient lot. Because of the large amount of information on the internet, people tend to browse an article to quickly determine if what they’re looking for is in it or not. If your blog post is more than a thousand words long and is written in such a way that it makes one or two uninterrupted paragraphs then you could be at risk of losing your reader.

Make your post easier on the eyes. Divide your posts into chunks, use bullets or numbers. These techniques will keep the information on your post organized and will make it easier for potential readers to know what to expect from the post.

Blogging master Darren Rowse also recommends this on his “Ten Tips for Writing a Blog Post”.

4. Come up with a clever title.

No matter how great and structured your blog post is, it won’t be read if it doesn’t attract the attention of readers in the first place. This is where putting a good title to your post comes in. Titles with phrases like “How to”, “10 tips” and “5 Ways” tend to grab reader’s attention because it quickly lets readers know what to expect.

These are the foundations of a great blog post. What other blogging tips can you recommend?

Photo credits: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Your homepage is important because it is the first page that most readers see when clicking on your site.

In one my previous articles, I talked about the basic components of web content such as a homepage, an about page, sales copy and the frequently asked questions’ page. For this article, I would like to focus more on how to write an excellent and effective homepage.

Your Store’s Facade

A homepage is an extremely important part of any website. In many cases, it is the page where your visitors land after clicking your site. If you had a brick-and-mortar office or store, the homepage would be the store’s facade which potential customers are able to see even when they are just driving or walking past your shop. Using this metaphor, you can immediately understand how important the homepage is for your website. Even if you have the coolest gadgets, the best discounts and the friendliest salesmen, few people are likely to enter your shop if the exterior features broken windows, a littered driveway and walls crawling with graffiti.

So even if you have dozens of web pages that are excellently written and other nifty features on your site, visitors are not likely to explore it if your homepage content alone is drab and reeking with misspellings and grammatical mistakes.

To help get you started on writing or revising your homepage content, here are some tips to keep in mind.

• Don’t beat around the bush.

Long-winded introductions are almost always never a good thing, especially if you have a reader who is hurriedly looking for something online. When writing your homepage copy, it’s important that you let your readers know what your site is all about and it’s important that you let them know fast. Remember that there are dozens of websites that offer services, products of information that are pretty much similar to yours and your readers can very easily click out of your site, never to return again.

• Show how you stand out.
  

If you are a great businessman and you are passionate about what you do then chances are there’s something special about your business that makes it stand out from the competition. “Affordable prices” and “great customer service” are worn out sales pitch lines that does nothing for consumers anymore. Even if you do have affordable prices and excellent customer service (which you should), you’re going to have to dig a little deeper than that. And if you have a great business going for you then it shouldn’t be hard to look for something that can make you stand out.

For instance, are your products made from recycled materials? Does it come with a free eBook? Is your service specifically targeted at a particular demographic like single mothers, working students or senior citizens?

• Provide easy navigation

Nothing could be more annoying to a site visitor than landing on a home page and being bombarded by dozens of links to pages that he doesn’t need. When writing your homepage, make sure that you provide links to the several pages that your visitor will likely want to go to. And make sure that these links lead directly to the page. Some web masters thought that they’re smart for leading visitors to several pages before getting to the web page itself, but they are actually just annoying site visitors and driving them away.

These basic tips should help you get started on writing your homepage copy. Stay tuned for more advice on writing effective and powerful web content.

Photo credits: healingdream / FreeDigitalPhotos.net