That Darned Content 2 pg 4: Production Graphics with Wendy Peck at webreference.com

That Darned Content 2: Look Outside for Content

Just released, March 2001! My first full length book on Dreamweaver 4. Available through Amazon.com.

This is an affiliate link to Amazon.com that is provided on my site. Many sites have done very well by providing links to books that are exceptionally good and related to the goals of the site visitors. Most large online stores have affiliate programs.

The last page looked at ways to find more content, or stretch the content that you do have. Let's look at opportunities to gather content from outside the normal bounds of your site.

Look for partners
There may be complimentary businesses or information sites that will mix well with your topic. Content can be shared, filling out pages on both sites, and hopefully creating more traffic for each partner. Again, be specific when you are asking a client about this possibility. As an example: A site may sell craft items on the Web. I know there are many supplier sites that offer how-to tutorials, or idea sections for how to use the product. If your site sells that product, chances are good that you can obtain permission to carry the content on your site. Even if the supplier will not allow an entire article to be placed on your site, they may allow you to write a short note about it and include an image of the finished product.

The previous example is great because it is so targeted to the visitors. If visitors are considering purchasing supplies from the site, chances are high that they will also be interested in what that product will do. As long as you can feature content that helps to deliver answers for the questions that brought visitors to your site, you are not "padding" the content, you are adding value.

Suppose you have a site that features home decorating ideas. You could link to books that you think are very good from an online bookseller, or even find an affiliate program for furniture, decorating supplies or accessories that match each topic on your site. Not only do you provide more content for your site, but you also provide a one-stop service for your visitors and can earn some additional income.

A good view of the Earth photographed shortly after translunar injection of April 16, 1972. Although there is much cloud cover (over Canada and the oceans), the United States in large part, most of Mexico and some parts of Central America are clearly visible. Note Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Also note the Bahama Banks at upper right part of the sphere. A large part of the Rocky Mountain Range is also visible.

Public information
If your site has any relation to subjects that are carried by government or community agencies, you can often find relevant content. Often, you will see notes on sites that invite you to use the content that is stated on a particular page. For example, you may have a site that focuses on healthy lifestyles, perhaps offering products or services that can help people improve lifestyle.

Look to national, regional or local health organizations or agencies for content. They may have a campaign running, and will gladly provide both text and images for another site to promote the campaign. There may be an archive of health related material that they will give permission to reprint. Always be prepared to approach the managers of the content with a professional attitude, and give them full information about your site, and how their material will be used when you are requesting permission to reprint.

Be prepared to find an alternate solution if other sites cannot allow you to reprint desired material. Perhaps you can provide a small description of the article on your site, and a link to the material. Annotated links are much better for your clients, and do fill space on a page. Although permission from the linked site is usually not required for this type of link, it is never a bad idea to let the owners of a site know when you have placed a link on your site. Often, they will respond by adding a link to your site if they have a links section.

I have included a sample of a space image, one of hundreds that are copyright free and available for download from the NASA site. The caption is also provided with the images. Please read the NASA guidelines for using these images. You will also find video and audio files on the same site.

This is by no means the end of the ways you can dig for content. Every site has unique opportunities for content generation or partnerships. Use your imagination and guide your clients to the best content you can for every site. But if you still have short pages, what can you do? Check the next page for design ideas.

Next page

That Darned Content 2: Tutorial Index

Thanks for the Mail
Finding the Balance
Mining for Content
Look Outside for Content
Balancing with Color and Graphics