Five Things Your Site Can Learn From TV

   As much as you might enjoy CSI or 30 Rock, it’s probably hard to see how those shows relate to your own web page. After all, they’ve got to create a compelling story in a short amount of time through a fast-moving visual medium. Nothing at all like the internet.

    After you’ve washed off the sarcasm dripping from that last sentence, take a look at these five things web writers can learn from television – remember that TV has been pretty much the same for the last 60 years, they must be doing something right.

1. You Have Only a Few Seconds to Hook Your Audience
   
   TV directors, the successful ones anyway, know they have scant seconds to draw in their viewers before they click away to another channel. They’re competing with hundreds of other outlets, your website is competing against billions. Make sure your visitors can get what they want fast or they’ll be gone.


2. Write Like You Talk
   
   TV shows sink or swim on their dialogue - as soon as things sound corny or forced, we stop believing in the characters. Imagine explaining your business or passion to a stranger, and then write your site that way. In today's world of instant intimacy, companies are people too. Make sure you sound human.


3. Keep Your Audience Coming Back
   
   Those Lost episodes that always end with someone about to die? Hard to resist coming back the next week, right?
   
   Your site probably doesn't need thrilling gunfights, but make sure you provide a good, visible reason for someone to come back. Blogs, updated photo galleries, comments, polls, and upcoming events calendars are all great tools to keep your site fresh and interesting.


4. Tie Your Length to Your Subject
   
   Is your site more like a short sitcom or a full-length drama with a dozen plot threads? If it's the former, don't waste our time with 5,000 needless words. If your material is complex, ease our eyes by using multimedia elements like podcasts, video, or slideshows. Break long items into multiple posts (picture those "To Be Continued" endings) or use linked references to explain small points so you can focus on the big picture.


5. See The Stars
   
   Almost any successful TV show will have guest stars, and your site should be no different. If you use a blog, have an outside expert contribute a post (ask nicely, of course). Get your CEO involved in a Q&A special. Work to get your site mentioned on top aggregators like Digg and Technorati. If the things we trust endorse you, we'll be more willing to try you out. Then you just have to live up to the hype. Easy, right?