People often say that they want to have great content in their website. If you ask them what they mean by great content, they will invariable start talking about Wikipedia. They would also say, how Wikipedia answers all the queries. These are stapled examples when someone is looking to hire a content writer.

It’s fine to have great content like Wikipedia in your website but answer me one question, what do you want from your site? What do you want the readers to do? What is the main purpose of the page? Do you simply want to educate the readers or do you want to ask them take some action?

Do you really think that the content of Wikipedia is good enough to motivate the reader to take an action? Even if your content is developed only to educate the readers, aren’t you asking him to take an action after reading the page?

There is a basic difference between eHow and Wikipedia. In case of eHow, you are actually teaching the reader how to do something. This style invariably motivates the reader to take an action. It compels the reader to do something. And more importantly it dictates the way – how to do that thing.

Does Wikipedia serve this purpose?

Wikipedia provides you great information on a topic. And after gathering the information, you are free to move on your own. You can apply it on something or move to another page. Wikipedia have thousands of interlinked pages. Once you start moving from one link to another, you have actually nowhere to go.

Do you want same thing to happen in your website – where the reader keeps moving aimlessly! Or do you want your website to be like eHow – where you subtly dictate the reader to take an action?

Think about it before you ask someone again to produce great content like Wikipedia. To the most, you can create a glossary in your website in Wikipedia style and leave people to roam around – if you are so much in love with it. Wikipedia is pure information. And pure information = no bias = no business.