Perhaps you want to promote your website or get paid to write for other webmasters, but you don't know how to write an article for online use. Don't worry. The following three formats make it easy to put together articles that readers will want to read.

The Bullet Points Article

This is the easiest of all the article formats, and is sometimes called a "list article." You essentially make a list of "Ten Best Ways To..." or "Three Tips For..." or "Six Mistakes To Avoid..." These articles are usually started with an introductory paragraph (like the one that starts this article), and then have a list that is made with stars, bullet points or numbers - or just subtitled paragraphs. A paragraph at the end to wrap things up is optional (although a resource box with a link telling the reader how to get more great tips is a must if you are promoting your website).

The "mistakes" articles can be especially attention-getting. What dog owner wouldn't want to look at an article on "Three Things Most Dog Owners Do Wrong" just to see if he was doing any of the three. "Secrets" work well too, as in "Seven Secrets Of Making Money Online," or "Four Insider's Real Estate Investing Tips."

Advantages and Disadvantages

Also known as a "pros and cons article," this is another easy format that doesn't require any great writing skill. Just do a bit of research (unless you are already sufficiently familiar with the material), and describe the good and the bad of a product, idea or controversial topic. Many readers will want to know if there is a good or bad point they aren't yet familiar with.

For example, I once wrote on the pros and cons of article submission software. I pointed out the efficiency gained (versus manually submitting articles to directories) and other positive points. Then I listed the flaws in the common programs, ranging from the fact that they don't work with many of the best directories to the problems of improperly filled-in forms. I mentioned that the best directory I use, which doesn't allow automatic submissions, generates more traffic than the next 100 directories put together. In other words, if they want maximum exposure, software alone won't do it for them.

That brings up an important suggestion if you do an article about the advantages and disadvantages of something. Try to have one or two bits of information that the reader is not likely to know. That's what makes you the expert in their eyes.

Questions and Answers

Similar to a list-article, this type simply lists important or common questions people have related to the topic, and then answers them. For an article like the one you are reading now, I could have listed questions like "What's the easiest type of article to write?" (bullet points) and "How long should they be?"(300 to 800 words), and "What are other easy ways to write something interesting?" (try questions and answers).

"How to" articles are some of the most popular ones on the internet. That's why this one is titled "How To Write An Article." They also are easily done in a question and answer format. One last tip: if you regularly get email questions from visitors to your website or subscribers to your newsletters, save them and answer them in an article.