The Evolution of Writing Content Headlines

 

From newspapers to online articles, the way headlines are created have truly come a long way. As the medium and the type of audience change, so are the different styles of writing headlines trying to keep up with the pace.  

They say that if you want to see the world’s best headlines and how they look like, refer to BBC News. This is according to Jakob Neilsen of the Neilsen Norman Group.

According to Jakob Neilsen, a great headline must meet the following characteristics, which BBC News does perfectly: short, contains the right keywords, "rich in information scent", predictable and "understandable out of context". This applies to headlines written online and offline. 

In the effort to be clear and concise, headlines back in the day were usually rid of emotions. It is straightforward – point blank and ready to aim. 

However, you can see that there are headlines that do not necessarily follow this formula. Especially if you spend a lot of time on the internet, you will see that the headlines do not only take more than 5 words to write, but these are also packed with emotion.

Try to see headlines written by Viral Nova for an illustration.

A Man Takes A Single Rake to The Beach.

And When You Zoom Out And See It… Well, Just Look.

A Dying Grandmother Left This Cryptic Note Behind.

Someone Finally Cracked the Code.

Nothing Could Prepare Me For What’s Revealed

When This Glacier Lake Melts. OMG.

While some find their headlines too long and bordering on the unconventional (basing from Jakob Neilsen’s parameters on headlines), it is safe to assume that they may have just nailed the best way to create headlines for online publishing – combining emotion, precision and social triggers for liking or sharing on social media. 

Providing context to headlines is one aspect of creating effective headlines, but giving a story even that early into the content is another. Headlines that are combined with a few story elements can make it enticing for readers to click and hopefully share on their respective networks.

Website Redesign 101: Practical Tips to Consider When Redesigning Your Website

Redesigning a website is like renovating an old home. It seems easy on the outside, but reality paints a different story altogether. 

Even after you have chosen a new template, a new colour scheme and a new optimisation strategy to keep it running on search, redesigning your website does not end there. Redesigning your website must follow a strategy or a blueprint so you know what aspect of your old website you need to change and what you need to retain.

Any website redesign should follow a plan. Your plan will be the foundation of an organised structure for your new website. Planning allows you to know what aspects of your website needs to be changed and what aspects are already performing well so you do not have to touch it.

Along with planning comes assessing your old website structure. Try to ask yourself the following questions.

o   Does your website have missing pages?

o   Do you have duplicate and outdated content?

o   Do you have duplicate links?

o   Does your website contain broken links?

 If your answers to these are in the affirmative, target these areas of your website as you redesign.

o   Is it mobile-friendly?

o   Are the pages loading quickly?

o   Is your website incorporated with your social media channels?

o   Is your website easy to navigate?

o   Is it user friendly?

o   Does it capture your current brand image?

If your response is no to these questions, include these aspects too as you redesign.

Next is to come up with the foundation of your website. Even if you want to retain certain aspects of your old website (in terms of design or content), it is not going to be easy as copy pasting it. As you go along with your redesign, check whether the links are working, the page names and other details of your old website are intact. This also goes for the plugins and applications that are linked to your website. Make sure that these remain unaffected. 

The implementation should follow a predictable pattern. If content and design will change, the process implementation should start with the content writer, followed by the web designer and then the web developer. Communication and documentation is essential. 

Work closely with your hired SEOs during the redesign of your website. A good-looking website that does not perform well on search is not a good idea. You might be ruining good search standing and ranking when you focus only on redesigning your website on the outside. 

Additional Tips:

Always backup your existing website before you implement the any changes. 

Remember the saying do not fix it it isn't broken? This applies when redesigning websites. Focus on aspects of your website that needs repair and let the rest remain as is. 

Always aim for the best version of website - design-wise, content-wise and functionality-wise.

Have a test version of your new website before publishing it to live. You do not want your website viewers telling you of your errors.