Rules No. 2 to 1000: Think Global!
Think global! The Web is nothing but global.
Yes, the prime market for your writing may be local, regional or national, but the Web is global by its very nature, and it opens up new markets for you automatically.
An example: my TurkeyTravelPlanner.com website is aimed primarily at the following markets (in order of importance):
1. United Kingdom
2. Western Europe
3. USA & Canada
4. Turkey
...but the site is actually used by people from 170 countries! So you must change the picture you have of your "typical reader" and include readers who...
— May live 10 time zones away
— May not speak your language as a native (and may in fact be reading computer translations of your web pages provided by Google and other services)
— May use a different currency and spend it at a much lower or higher rate than you would
— May have different customs, religion and interests than your traditional readership
Align your writing to your best market, yes. But always think Global! Your market is now the entire world. Period.
Next: Your site's design
Previous: Your website's purpose
7 Reasons for a Writer's Website
