Want to write for this site? Struggling with content for your own? Here are 5 tips for creating meaningful and interesting web site content.

1. Start off with a bang. If you don’t draw your reader into the content immediately, they will move on to a different site.

2. Keep it short. Organize your information into meaningful chunks that your readers can easily scan.

3. Don’t *be* passive. Verbs like “are,” “is,” “was,” “have been,” and “will be” will bored your readers, and in my opinion, they indicate lazy writing. Work ruthlessly to eliminate them from your writing. Your readers will thank you for using sentences written in active voice.

4. Check your spelling and grammar. If you don’t take the time to proofread and edit your content, why should anyone take the time to read it?

5. Think about your audience and how they relate to your content. Instructional content demands a different presentation than content designed to persuade.

Kara Kane (webmaster@medaille.edu) has maintained the Medaille College web site (www.medaille.edu <http://www.medaille.edu/> ) since 2005. She also manages two other web sites for Medaille, ExperienceMedaille.com and MedailleNews.com.