Writing for the web is a challenge. There are usually word
length restrictions, the fact that usescan rather than read every word, and
sometimes style guides to adhere to.
There are enough
writing tips online to keep you reading for longer than you probably
desire.
Here are several tips
that have been the most useful for write the content of website:
1. Know your audience
This sounds
obvious but is often taken for granted. The only way we can write relevant copy
that is targeted at the right audience in the right tone of voice, is to
understand who that audience is. Depending on where our audience are located, we
may have to include local expressions or if writing for a wide audience be
specific with things such as dollars. If it is US dollars then say so. If it is
Cardiff in Wales then say so as there is also a Cardiff in New Zealand and other
countries.
2. Decide why we are writing?
Linked
to the previous tip, as well as knowing who we are writing for our need to know
why we are writing for them. Is it to get them to register, persuade them to buy
something, deliver information to them or get them to subscribe to
something?
Our answer to this question should determine what we write.
3. Headlines
A well thought of and
clear headline can generate four times the interest of a poor one. Headlines
shouldn't be longer than 7 words and should be written in the present tense.
4. Upper case
Avoid the use of ALL
UPPER CASE in your copy as it takes 57% longer to read. Also avoid starting
every word with a capital letter in our headings.
5. Choose the right words
Certain
words can hold the reader's attention whilst others can turn them off. Words
that people like include thoughtful, imagination, progress, and ambition. Less
popular words include dispute, failure, weak, and extravagant.
Use
contractions. That is, use 'you're' instead of 'you are' and 'doesn't' instead
of 'does not'. Whilst some are of the opinion that the contractions are bad
English, they do make the copy less formal and more conversational which is
often the tone of voice and style that is required on the web.]
6. Acronyms
Avoid using
these if possible. It would be careless to assume that everybody
who visits your site will understand the meaning of any acronyms
you use. However, this is linked to knowing your audience. The same
rule here applies to jargon, avoid as best you can, cutting out any
unnecessary complexities.
7.
Punctuation
Minimise
punctuation as best you can. Punctuation marks can be difficult to discern
on screens, especially semi-colons, so try using commas or shorter
sentences
instead.
8.Effective
Hyperlinks
Your hyperlinked
words tend to stand out against standard copy so should be relevant
and motivate the user into carrying out an action. I don’t like ‘click here’ but
if this is used, it is more effective to use it along with some
contextual information, so ‘click here to apply for a loan’. This way
the user knows exactly where they will be led.
9.The right
length
Keep your
sentences short. If they are too long then reader’s interest will dip and
your message will become muddled. One rule of thumb is that sentences
should be between 15 and 20 words long. Please don’t count all my
sentences in this article, just in case I broke the rule.
Paragraphs should
be no more than 5 lines of type long, or in depth. Also, a good
measure to abide by is that there should be no more than three sentences
per paragraph.Make your copy digestible by using sub sections,
headings and lists where appropriate. If you do use lists try not to
have more than 6 items in each one.
10. Proof
read
Another obvious
point but not always one that is carried out. Proof reading and
editing should be a matter of course when it comes to writing. If a
user is deep in your text and spots an error it will immediately break
the connection between them and your site.
11. Descriptive
Titles
The title of your article should tell the reader what
it’s about. Some people like to use humor, while others prefer to play
it straight. It doesn’t matter, as long as readers know what to
expect. Readers want to know what’s in it for them. A good title will tell
them.
That’s one of the reasons that article titles with numbers in
them tend to do well. If your article is called: ‘Seven Ways To Land
Your Perfect Partner’, then readers know what they will
get.
12. Direct
Address
One of the things I love about writing web content is
that you can address readers directly. It’s like having a
conversation with someone who is in the same room. When writing web
content, your writing voice is often like your speaking voice, and it’s a
great idea to let your personality shine through.
13. Clear
Language
With web content, you are writing for an
international audience, and not everyone speaks the same first
language as you do. That’s why it’s best to stay away from obscure
expressions and jargon and use clear and simple language. You can
also add examples to make it even easier for reader to
understand.
14. Break It
Up
If you want your web content to be user friendly, you
have to make it digestible. That means breaking it into small
chunks, usually with one main idea in a paragraph. It’s also a good
idea to make the article scannable by adding a subheading for each
main idea.That means that readers will be able to glance at the subheadings
and pick out the main ideas.
Website Content Tips: 6 Ways to Grab Readers’
Attention :
1. Chunk content
Separate information into
digestible "chunks" to facilitate scanning and reading.
According to Crawford Killian,
author of Writing
for the Web, 100
words in one solid block of text is a symptom of paragraphosis, in which the eye
becomes unable to focus or track through a mass of type. Chunking content
creates natural breaks and helps readers absorb
information in
manageable pieces. A chunk can have two or three short paragraphs, each with a
subhead, all surrounded by lots of white space. Avoid transitional phrases so
your content chunks can stand on their own. Information on the web in consumed
in modular rather than linear style.
2. Use instructive headings
Heat maps and eye tracking
studies repeatedly show that headings grab our eye.
To leverage their impact, use
descriptive phrases that inform the reader what the content is about.
Place information
carrying words at the beginning of headings to quickly convey
meaning and use
language your readers understand.
3. Format for scannability
-
Bold information-rich keywords to help symbolize what a paragraph is about. Be careful not to go overboard. Too many bolded words are distracting and hard to read.
- Use bulleted and numbered lists when appropriate. Bullet lists rank right next to headings as the most-scanned areas of a page. Bullets are a great place to convey key benefits.
- Consider tables for voluminous information. Tables or matrices can quickly convey and compare information that is easily lost in text.
4. Use anchor points
Effective anchor points help
draw attention. Use product hero shots, photos, graphics, and captions to
guide the
eye and reinforce
your message.
5. Be clear and concise
Write in the active voice, use
strong verbs and simple sentence construction, and get to the point. Flowery or
"marketing-oriented" prose does more than slow readers down – it annoys them.
6. Employ good design
Good design helps convey your
message and instills confidence and trust.
Proper use of visual
segmentation and hierarchy will do wonders for reader comfort and, ideally,
help guide readers
to take the next
step – interact with you.
SELF REVIEW
There are several things we need to think about in the
process of information design. This is very important in the information design
part. Firstly we need to think what is message we want to share with the user,
second who is our target audience, third, what is our purpose of the of website,
whether it for share idea or knowledge or what. Other thing is background of
intended audience, whether they already have some ideas about our topic in our
website or they are very new. The last is structure of message be organized in
most effectively.
When developing educational website, we must
considered on learning theories, learning and teaching strategy and learning
style for our website. This is important to make sure the user can gain the
knowledge with the appropriate strategy that has been used.
