Have you ever read a book and told friends you “couldn’t put it down?” The writer grabbed you from the title on the front cover and didn’t let you go until you’d read the entire thing. Your web content should have the same effect.

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, to captivate means, “to attract and hold the interest of.” That’s your goal whenever you are writing web content: to get your readers hooked every time they read your website, blog or article online.

People read online articles differently than they read print. First, they scan for the first few sentences, buzz words and headings. If it looks interesting, they keep reading, and optimally, forward it to friends, followers, circles of people in their social networks. If it looks boring, irrelevant or blatantly sales-y, they’re gone. So how do you write web content that keeps readers engaged and coming back for more?

The title grabs your readers’ attention. It says, “This article will solve your problem, or entertain you, or enlighten you.”

On average, eight out of 10 people will read the headline, but only two out of 10 will go on to read the rest of the copy. That’s the power of the title. Here is a list of 45 exciting words that’ll get your creative juices flowing.

After the headline, many writers may lead with a famous quote. For example:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle.

The reader keeps reading to see what’s next.

Other tactics for a compelling first paragraph include asking a question like: “Why is blogging so popular?”,

reciting an interesting fact like, a new blog post is created every two seconds,

or telling a good story that leads with: “this actually happened to someone.”

In any case, the first paragraph should contain all of your article’s main points. Remember your essay writing 101 class? Same thing, only friendlier. Remember, online readers skim. If they don’t move beyond the first paragraph, at least you’ve made your point.

Infographics are very popular these days. These are pictures that tell a story. People who are skimming can look at the graphic and understand with a glance your article’s main focus.

Telling images draw the eye, and the curiosity, of the reader. Remember this truism: A picture is worth 1,000 words. It’s human nature to be drawn to images. Moreover, an image increases the magnetism of your content.

Finally, add links to other sources of information. It adds credibility to your article’s intent to enlighten or inform, because it suggests the author has your best interests in mind. Set up the authority links so they open up in a new browser window so that the original page is open and visible.

What are your secrets for creating riveting content? Let us know in your comments below.