Writing for the Web

Chapter 5 begins with stating the differences between writing for print vs. web. It is interesting to see that being a good web writer isn’t that hard. Web writers need to be very cautious since people read differently online. As a Web writer - you better have the information the website visitor is looking for or else the reader will leave the site and will never come back! Here is a list of few techniques a web-writer can use to increase traffic and engage readers – after all, according to the authors of this book, good web writing is useful, usable, engaging and findable :

• Writing has to be easy to scan A lot of testing has been done on how long it takes for the average web surfer to decide if they are going to “bother” to read a web page, or just click away. The actual numbers vary, but are in the range of three to five seconds. It’s your job to present information in such a way that you can get the attention of your reader, and let them know that this is where to find the information they’re looking for – or not as the case may be.

• Avoid the passive voice
Get to the point immediately!!!

• Context needs to be there
If your information is being distributed via RSS, there should be enough context when not viewed in its original location.

• Good titles for the page and for any subsections
Descriptive titles are the key. This will direct the reader to find the information they are looking for a whole lot faster/descriptive title is used, it’s much easier for the reader to find the information they are looking for, especially if the information is being viewed out of context. It also helps out with the search engines.

• Tools, Process and Team
These are the top things needed to focus on having prior to even starting to write.

• Regular Updates for fresh information
People need to see new information to even be motivated to check the website out and revisit !

During class last time, we browsed the web and saw both great and poorly designed websites. It was interesting to point out the errors and what made us frustrated about the bad sites! All web writers need to keep in mind what would make a pleasant experience for the web users.