Original Website Contents – Does It Really Matter?

With the vast number of information we can get from the internet, it is sometimes hard to stay original especially that it seems that everything you need are already there. This could be the reason why some bloggers and website owners opt to merely copy and paste posts that they see from other sites thinking that they really do not need to exert much effort since what they need is already right before their eyes. Well, for some, being original is not important but there are still so many people who believe on the value of originality.

Some people might find it hard to be original due to information overload. Like, if they would like to write something about a certain topic and search for it on the internet, for sure, he will be bombarded with so many search results and each one is saying similar things about it. Well, after reading each item, that person could already be confused on what he could really say on the article he intends to create. He might end up copying the best article he has seen that would suit his blog. Another scenario is a blogger or website owner who just wanted to earn from his site without exerting much effort. So, he just copy what others work hard for. Easy.

Originality and Plagiarism

Originality refers to one’s ability to express an idea that is fresh and novel. It is created from an individual manner showing works that are not reproduced and cloned from other works. An original work has a unique style and substance setting it apart from those which are merely copied. It is far from plagiarism which points to copying the works of others. Plagiarism is the act of a person by closely imitating another’s ideas and words. It is also referred to as stealing one’s own without giving due credit to the source. Plagiarism is actually a form of cheating and is also considered a serious matter among writers and journalists.

Some people would think that merely copying and pasting articles from the internet without giving credit to the source is okay especially that the writer would not know that you have done it. Nevertheless, that is still plagiarism. If you use the words from a different person offline, you are less likely to be caught unless someone will check it online. I personally had this experience wayback college when one of my staffs for the school paper submitted a feature that impressed us all. Only to find out that it wasn’t her work at all! It was merely copied from the internet. That was clear plagiarism. It would really be very shameful to do such a thing especially if the original writer finds out. We have to learn how to respect the ideas and works of other people even if they will not know about it. You can read more about this at Drawing the Line – Inspiration or Plagiarism? where we have given a comparison between getting inspiration and committing plagiarism.

Now that we have given light on the difference of originality and plagiarism, let us take a look at what copycats can get from their act. This could be a warning to those who are fond of copying especially to blog and website owners. Also, we will give you the advantages you can get from being original and what you can do in order to create original posts for your websites.

What Copycats Get

Well, cheaters never win. If you think you got an ace for doing that, you are totally wrong. We have seen so many articles from Naldz Graphics being copied in other websites without a link back to the original article. Worse, there are sites that claim the articles as “their” composition. We remain quite about it because we know you’ll reap something in the end. You might enjoy copying now but soon you will get these things:

1. Banned website. You currently enjoy copying articles that are of good quality. With that, your website is so full of cool articles which drive a lot of traffic to your site. Okay. Well, go sip on your cola while lounging near the beach today because tomorrow, all the benefits your getting are gone since this is merely temporary. Not being original with your contents give you this: Enjoy now, Suffer later. You know why? Because Google will soon find out that you are merely a copycat. Your site will be considered a spam and it will be banned. So, goodbye website, goodbye readers, goodbye earnings. Hello shame.

2. Bad impression. Readers are not stupid. If they will not find out that the content is not yours during their first visit, they will still be able to find out soon. You might be thinking that the chances of getting caught are slim because there are so many websites that talk on the same topic. But hey, it is actually easier to get you online. With that, your website will have a bad impression. And oops, not just your website will get the bad impression but also you.

3. Readers will look at you as unprofessional. Aside from having a bad impression, the readers will also know that you are just faking. You are not really an expert on the field and you do not really know anything about your niche at all. A professional person won’t do that. Hence, no matter how well-designed your site is, no matter how great your giveaways are, you are still unprofessional for them.

4. Lose your reader’s trust. And since you are unprofessional, you will no longer get the trust of your readers. Instead of checking your site, they will look for other sites of the same niche that can be trusted. And this refers to those website who really exert effort to write original articles for their sites.

5. Be named a cheater. C-h-e-a-t-e-r. Not one but billions of people will know that you are a c-h-e-a-t-e-r. Oh, for sure you will become famous for that. But not a good way of getting fame. So, if you are fond of copying articles or scraping articles, why not stop doing it and just give where the credit is due? It is easy to give a link to the original source. If you were able to give time in copying the content, why not give time in placing a link towards the original article?

Advantages of Being Original

See? You will really suffer if you keep on copying. Why not just be original? If you will post original articles and work hard on every article you share to the world, you will gain a lot from it. Let us take a look on what you can get from being original:

1. Be looked as an expert in the field.

When you write original contents, people will know that you are an expert in the field and that you really have knowledge about it. By showing your expertise and knowledge, you are not just building a good online reputation for yourself but you are also creating a good brand for your website by having high quality contents.

2. You’ll get trust.

Trust is important. Once you gain the trust of the readers, you are assured that they will be checking on your site from time to time. They will also be relying on you to give them the information they want to gain.

3. You’ll be respected.

Respect is a big thing to get online. Not all writers and websites can get respect. Having original posts will make your readers respect you and your expertise in your niche. That would be too far from merely copying contents because copying will only put you down and it could even disgust readers.

4. Other websites will link to you.

Seeing high quality content from your website will inspire other sites as well. Another thing, they would also be writing posts with a link towards a certain article in your website. They do this because they look at your posts as a good resource for what they are writing. Also, they might even share your story in their own website with a link back to your site, of course. This can help you gain more traffic.

5. Get more traffic.

We just mentioned that having original content can help you gain traffic. That is so true! Most readers visit websites which they know will be able to give them valuable and reliable information. Since they trust your website, they will go to your site if they need certain information that belongs to your niche. Another thing, people patronize “originals”. You will also get returning readers from time to time.

How to Create Original Posts

With the advantages of being original and the cons of copying stated above, you could already weigh things well. Why not begin writing original posts before it’s too late? Or why not place a link back to the original story of a certain article? Actually, it isn’t hard to be original. We will share to you some tips on how you can create original posts.

1. Speak your mind.

Simply write what you are thinking of. If you are working on a certain topic, just write everything that you want to say about it. Write the same way as you talk. This is one the best ways to be original with your content. Do not be pressured to have an article similar to a certain blogger. Just write and express. If you are a new blogger or you want to read tips in creating blog posts, check on Newbie Blogging Tips: How to Create Blog Posts.

2. Research, read and be inspired.

There is nothing wrong with reading other articles that is similar to what you will work on. So, research something about the topic and read those articles that interest you. Doing this will also broaden your thoughts and ideas about the topic. This can even help you to insert more information into your article.

3. Write on what you do best.

What are the things that you really do best? Write about it. This way, you will not be hesitant to share it because you know you are in the right path. You will also be confident of what you are writing since you are an expert on that field. So, it is best to assess yourself on which aspects in design or in photography or in whatever niche you are really good it. For sure, you will be able to share something original.

4. Share what you are doing now.

If you are into blogging, why not show us what you are currently working on? If you are doing a project, you can write about the design process or you can even work on a tutorial so that it can also help others. What you are currently doing is so original because no one else in the whole wide world is doing the same thing on the same manner as how you do it now. No two people can do the same thing at the same time, on the same way. Hence, you will be able to share something totally original!

5. Gather, link and create round-ups.

If you want to share a lot of stuffs in your website like a bunch of photography inspiration, then go. You can still be original in doing that if you will really look for lovely images from various photographers and place the link back to their portfolios as credit to them. That is still being original because you were the one who gathered your favorites and the important part is to include a link to the original creator. Also, adding some captions to them would be a plus factor. Share to the world what you think of the image you have included in your list.

So, is it hard to come up with original posts? Of course not! If you really have the heart for your website or your blog, you will be able to create original posts. Another thing, you should not work on something which you really do not know and you really do not love because you will end up groping in the dark. You will merely be wasting all your efforts. Since you are already exerting effort on something, why not just give work on it in a clean way? But what if you really do not have the writing skills? Hire someone to write for you. Or invite other writers to have a guest post in your website. That will help your site grow and it is a better choice than copying contents.

It’s Your Turn Now

Being original is always the best choice. So, if you intend to make your website grow, do not settle for copied posts. Work on it. It isn’t that hard after all. You will soon realize that your efforts will be all worth it if you create posts that are fresh and novel. Or you can merely research about something and then put it in your own words. Do you have any encounters of plagiarism? Or have you seen some of your own write-ups copied by others? How did you feel about it?