Increasing Pageviews: F is for Fixing a Problem

You can build an entire financial and publishing empire on helping people fix a problem. If you're Martha Stewart.

Offering solutions or tips to problems offers writers a vast amount of writing material. This type of article can also increase pageviews.

There is a reason that problem-solving content has been the lifeblood of women's magazines, and has spawned numerous tip-based and answer-based web sites. People have problems

These are not the big, life-threatening or life-changing problems (although they also offer material for articles), these are the everyday, work-related, home-based, or relationship issues that everyone has.

Value Based Content and Fixing Problems

Goods and services are also sold on this premise. They offer solutions, or value.

One type of value that consumers seek is solution-based value. Solution-based value is integral to communication-based businesses, and service-based businesses. Consumers have a problem. Some business has a solution.

Writing can be approached in the same way. Identify a common problem and write about a solution. The solution could be anything from a new product, a new service, or a new approach to the problem.

Readers really appreciate finding out what worked for someone else. They may try it or not, it does not matter. What matters is that you offer up the solution, and it's up to the reader whether they try it or not. They may not use it themselves, but they may forward that article to someone else who could use the information.

Another way to add value to content is to offer an easier way to do something. As a culture we are always looking for the easier, or easiest way to our goals. If we read a headline that promises us an easy solution, we will read it.

On those same lines, if you know a faster method of accomplishing a goal than is commonly known, share it. Getting things done faster is even better than easier.

These are all the same needs that advertisers tap into to sell products. Consumers don't want to buy a product that makes the task harder, take longer, cost more, or is ineffective.

They also won't read an article that promises "5 Hard Ways to Mow the Lawn," or "How to Take 6 Years to Earn a 4-Year-Degree in College," or "How to Spend $50 on a $10 Item Today!"

Also, do not bother with solutions to non-problems like "How to Drink from a Cup, for Adults."

Think of product equivalents, like coffee cozies, or the Wee Blocker, do not let your problem fixing aritlce fall into the trash bin with ohter "useless" products.