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Writing for the Web

You may think that writing is writing, right? Well, just as writing requires different styles for newspapers, novels, or academic papers, writing effectively for websites also requires a different style. This article summarizes ways to get your message across better on web pages.

What Do They Want?

Readers on the internet are generally goal-oriented and impatient. If they are not getting what they want right now, or they are not convinced that they are hot on the trail, they are quite likely to become frustrated and simply "change the channel". Think about it. Isn't that what you do?

In almost any format other than web pages, readers will probably have printed material in their hand and be prepared to settle in for a comfortable read. They will normally find what they want to read, begin at the top, and read through to the end of the piece. While this could happen on the internet, usually it doesn't. Users will often leave a web page in 8 to 15 seconds if it doesn't suit their needs.

Readers Scan

The first thing you do when you come to a new web page—I'll bet the ranch—is scan it. Readers will want to orient themselves to the new page and decide if the click they made just before turned out to be a good one. If the thing they are looking for is on the page, they will want to go right to it, skipping everything else.

Since this is what readers are going to do anyway, you might as well make it easy for them. Following are ways you can make it easier for your readers to scan your site content.

Older users and people with low literacy levels are sometimes an exception to this rule. They may be more likely to start at the top and plow through to the end. Still, you can make their task easier.

Inverted Pyramid Structure

Tell your readers the bottom-line at the top. Let them arrive as soon as possible at the conclusion, then fill in the details afterward. This is the style that newspapers generally adopt.

Begin by creating an outline of your content, then simply fill in the sentences. Do not use an academic style, in which the facts and reasons are carefully laid out first, and the main point is only stated at the end.

Headings

Include meaningful headings to identify the main sections of your content. If you've begun with an outline, as you should, this should be easy. Headings invite your readers into the paragraphs. Use keywords in your headings. Headings like the one below may be cute, but also confusing or misleading.

Boldness & Bullets

Help your readers discover what is in the content of the page by making key words bold and by using bulleted lists. Readers may consider a solid, homogeneous block of text to be an obstacle in their search and just not bother with it.

Help them gain entry into your text by highlighting some of the main ideas. On the other hand, too much bolding will become a distraction rather than focusing attention. If it's all bold, then none of it is bold.

It's usually easier for the eye to comprehend a list of things than to read through a paragraph naming them. This is especially true if you begin each list item with a keyword or action word of the item. However, lists that are somewhat longish may seem daunting. It depends on the context.

Style

The way you actually write your sentences will have a strong effect on your readers. Write in a way that is casual and familiar. Remember, you are not addressing a room full of people; only one person sits at a computer screen at a time. Talk to that person.

Selling Love Potion

Remember, you have a purpose in mind for your website and you are trying to influence your readers toward that purpose. This means you are trying to promote something, whether it be an item or an idea. Focus on providing what your readers want to receive, not on what you want to give them. Don't tell them what a wonderful thing it is. Tell them, instead, what wonderful thing it will do for them. There is a difference.

Search Engines

A significant segment of your audience may be search engines. Web search companies are becoming evermore sophisticated in discovering the real content of your site. After all, that is what their users want. It's getting more and more difficult to spoof them all the time. One of the surest way to attain high SEO rankings is to have well-written web pages, including good headings and keywords.

Keywords

Think about the key words your potential users might search with to arrive at your website. What are they looking for? Incorporate these keywords into your content by using them in your headings and paragraphs. Search engines actually read your web pages and try to figure out what they are about. When certain phrases are found in headings and paragraphs, they are indexed as keywords by the search-bots.

Confidence

Users of your site must have confidence that your company or organization is credible. If you speak to your audience honestly, plainly and clearly, they will tend to believe what you say. If you make vague or pretentious claims, or seem to have a hidden agenda, your users may feel uncomfortable. If they know nothing about you except what they see on their computer screen, you must make a good impression there.

Unfortunately, it must be stated, use correct spelling and grammar.

Additional Reading

For more information, or if you have any questions or comments, please contact me.

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  • Steve at simplyFULL.com
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