Poor Information

I'm not talking about sites with an obvious absence of information, I'm talking about sites that profess to give information, and then fail in the attempt!

This occurs in a number of ways, and involves a range of other topics such as integrity, knowledgeability, research, and common sense. The problem with those elements is too many people lack them, or don't do them! Poor information is a result of lack of understanding, or sloppy content creation habits.

Some of the problems are:

  • Fluff - Talking for several paragraphs without really saying anything conclusive. Includes ambiguous statements, and dancing around the issue. We also call this "politician's syndrome".
  • Old News - This is a common issue with PLR articles, and quickie "AdSense Sites". The information is substantially correct, but it contains nothing new that you could not find in any one of hundreds of other sources. There is no reason for its existence, it adds nothing unique or needed to the world. If you have an entire site on a topic, and you are not well-versed in the sub-topics, then a page or two where you cover nothing but basic information is ok, but the bulk of the site should have something unique and useful that is not easy to find elsewhere.
  • Unsubstantiated Claims - Some people will write things that are extreme and rather stupid, without giving any evidence to suggest that their claims might be correct. They act as though just because THEY said it, it must be right, no matter how illogical it is.
  • Ignorance - The problem with the web is that everyone thinks they are an expert. Even when they aren't, they want to appear so, because they think they can profit from doing so. Make sure what you are saying is verifiable, and that it actually makes sense across the board, before you write it for the world to pick apart. Many experts start as experts in beginning the thing they are talking about. That is ok, as long as they don't pretend more expertise than they actually possess, and as long as they are willing to admit when they don't know.
  • Absolute Statements - I make a few of these, but only after LONG experience and reasoning and research, when I KNOW there is no exception to the rule. The problem is that too many people make statements of absolutes which simply are not true, and they will drive away many visitors who spot right off that the integrity of the site is suspect. An example is "Everyone needs to take a multi-vitamin".
  • Talking about Talking about it - This is a huge problem on technical instruction sites. I once read a book where the author spent the first three chapters telling me what he was going to tell me, and then 5 chapters actually explaining what he was explaining. And when I finished, he had not completely covered everything he said he would in the first three chapters. One simple intro would have been enough, and then he should have got down to nuts and bolts! In an article, or web page, you don't have time to blither around. Get to the point!
  • Telling WHAT, but not HOW - "In order to remove the error message on startup, simply edit the system registry and remove all references to the error message." That statement makes sense to me. But when I first encountered it, I had no idea how to edit the registry, or how to even figure out what it was I needed to look for when I did. The author of NUMEROUS books and websites made the same mistake, in telling me what I needed to do, but no mention anywhere of HOW to do it. This is a HUGE problem with instructional books and websites. Don't just say what, but tell how, step by step.
  • No Individuality - Personality matters. The best information has some individuality, something unique, a conclusion based on personal experience and research. You can even overcome some lack of knowledge and experience if you include individual references. People will believe a single personal experience, sincerely related, more quickly than they will believe an impersonal account that lacks appeal, no matter how well documented.
  • Bad Writing - It is rife on the internet! A misspelled word or two in a page is not going to offend. Having to wade through grammar and spelling errors in every sentence will label you as unintelligent, and not worth paying attention to.
  • Dry, Wordy, or Incomplete Descriptions - You have to make sense. Your writing has to actually deliver a message effectively. If it does not, then people won't enjoy it or use it.

The above items are sort of written to be applicable to infosites, but they apply to product sites too. If your products are not well presented, no one will buy. And it is especially relevant to service sites, because people see the site more as an extension of the individual providing the service - if the site content is sloppy, they feel you will be sloppy in addressing the work for them.

Get someone to review your content, and then listen. Poor information on a site makes people go elsewhere.

Written by Laura Wheeler