WAY2WEB: Web Design & business...

Writing Effectively on the Web

Writing for the web is more of a art than a science, but there are a few guidelines to follow. As you may or may not already know, It is very uncommon for people to read pages on the internet word for word; they just scan the pages for what they want.

This is the complete opposite to books, where these are read word for word. There is a big mistake that traditional journalists make when making the switch to web writing.

Follow these rules, and you can be guarenteed that your visitors will be happier to read your text.

Rule 1: K.I.S.S.

Keep it Simple Stupid! People don't enjoy reading long, drawn out works of text on their screens - it just hurts your eyes, to say the very least. The first paragraph on each text should be explanatory, and give the reader a glimpse of what is to come.

It is also important that all the main facts are in the first paragraph or two. Don't do what journalists do, and place the facts several paragraphs in to the text.

Rule 2: Meaningful Sub-headings

As I use in this document, use sub-headings throughout your text to let the reader know what the next thought is about. For example, you may notice how I use sub-headings to let you know what each rule is about.

Rule 3: List your facts

Readers want to find what their looking for, and fast! To help them with their quest for knowledge, or whatever else you are serving them, use lists to provide fast facts.

• Lists can tell your readers lots of info, and fast
• Lists save space, and make your page look cleaner
• It is very easy to do

You can see what I mean...

Rule 4: Use Correct Grammar and Spelling

It is vitally important that you use a spell checker, and set out your text in a very easy to read format. If a word is used or spelt incorrectly, it stands out like a lead balloon. As odd as it may seem, it is easy easy to spot these things, and if it happens too much it can confuse your readers so much that they go to another site instead.

Also, don't EVER use SMS language. You aren't limited to 160 characters on the internet.

Rule 4: Check EVERYTHING!

Just like I try to do, read over everything. The world isn't going to end if your new article isn't out within 30 minutes of you starting to write it. Put the effort in!

Rule 5: Emphasize your points

Because people scan their pages, and don't read them, you need to point out a few vital points. Bold, italics and sometimes even links, will draw peoples attention to your most important points. But don't over do it - people will just get frustrated if there is too much of this on the one page.

If possible, highlight your keywords and short phrases with links in the first part of the text - this can also improve your search engine rankings. Your visitors will also appreciate the fact that your information has been backed up with other sources.

Rule 6: Avoid Marketing Speak

Your website isn't a marketing brochure, so don't write as if everything revolves around your products. money from it!

This is hard if your site is actually about your company, but you should keep in mind that the web is no longer a glorified product brochure (if it ever was!).

If you, for example, want to sell second hand cars on your website, don't only write about how fantastic your cars are. Write several mini articles that will tell anyone about what to look for in a used car. This will attract visitors from popular search engines and they will be interested about your articles. They can then, in turn, take a look at your cars, and some will even buy them.

Imagine how many potential sales this could generate, all for the effort put into writing a few paragraphs here and there. If you are a content writer, or a web designer, and you suggest this to your boss, imagine the pay rise you could get!

In Conclusion...

Remember all of these tips, and consciously put them into practice every time you write something for the web. Your quality of your text WILL improve drastically, and your visitors will be pleased.

For further reading, you may want to read this AlertBox article which covers a couple of ther points of interest.