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.

Are you a manufacturer with a network of dealers who sell your product?  If so, you could be missing out on a terrific opportunity to significantly increase sales.  Yeah, I know I sound like a TV pitchman, but for a small investment and support, your dealers could be selling your product online and making money for themselves, and for you.

Selling well means interaction with customers.  And before you can sell your product you need to sell “yourself.”  Sales people who look their best tend to come across as more confident, assertive, professional and most importantly, more productive.

Driving Directions, powered by Google Maps, are a great way to add an inexpensive feature to your website that allows your users to find you from virtually anywhere in the world.

Wouldn’t you like to know what visitors to your site are thinking?  Certainly an unhappy or pleased visitor could email you through your capture form, but I’ve discovered a better way.  One of my clients turned me on to a new program; it’s great for all flavors of sites, but extraordinarily important for ecommerce sites.

So you’re going to hire your own team to build your business website.  But wait – is that really the cost effective way to do it?  At the very least you’ll need a web designer and developer and probably a technical writer if you aren’t skilled in writing.  And do you know how to best optimize your page in the search engines?

When writing for websites, don't waste time. You don't have much to start with. Forget the appetizers and side dishes. If you want readers, get to the goods right away. That's right, dessert first!

We all hear the words “social media” every day; this is just one of the new buzz words. The overall number of businesses using social media to market their business grows rapidly each day. The goal for most of these businesses is trying to build relationships with their customers.

When creating your website you should make sure you can answer this question.  How does our website fit into our short-term and long-term marketing strategy?  The website will be a key element of any marketing strategy so keeping the focus on the role it will play is imperative.  

 Whether you're writing a corporate manifesto or publishing the latest press release, it's important to realize the differences of web vs. print. And no, it's not just that one appears on your screen while the other gives you ink stains. Take advantage of these internet tweaks to get the most from your every word: