The website is unlike any other media you may be required to write. Before you actually start writing the website content, you need to understand the web is a reader-driven media. They want the information they are looking for in the blink of an eye. Readers move between pages, searching for the most appealing segments that catch their attention, instead of spending a lot of time reading on a single page. They prefer to skim the material in lieu of reading. The skim-and-scan style of today's web readers demands extreme brevity. Web writers must take extra care to hook their readers quickly, write concisely, and get directly to the point. Catering to the readers' short attention span is only part of the challenge of a web writer.
You will still need to follow all the proper English writing guidelines; however, you will need to be more coherent and concise, and adapt your message to match your audience. Most web readers read at a 25 percent slower pace than in a text book. Two factors contribute to this slower pace: first, text is not easy to read on screen; and second, reading from a computer screen is tiring on the eyes.
There is no beginning, middle, or end on a website. Readers move about a document, and its related screens at their freewill. The reader is able to jump into, out of, and all around the Internet; this gives the web a three-dimensional format. The hyperlink is what enables the web to have this interactivity or interconnectivity between its pages. Web writers need to be able to manipulate the hyperlinks to tailor their messages. Web readers expect a certain level of involvement with the website, and using the hyperlinks allows this freedom. Successful web writers help their readers by breaking their information into smaller screen-sized chunks that may be accessed in any desired order.
When a website visitor arrives on one of your pages, they decide whether to stay awhile, navigate other pages on your website, return to the site at a later time, or go somewhere else. They make their initial decision based on their experience with the first page they have ended on.
The website writer needs to well organize its content structure. The structure and style must be modified for coordination of the navigational elements. One of the best ways to ensure readers will be able to navigate your website effectively and efficiently is to plan the navigation first, before you start writing.
One of the primary tips to a GREAT Website is to first plan the navigation, which forces you to think about who your readers are, and what paths they will follow to get your key information. It helps you decide up front your most important information that will be on your website, how much you will actually write, and how much information your readers will have access to via links to other websites. By planning the navigation of your material first, you will ultimately produce a higher-quality, easier-to-navigate website.
The best navigational tools help readers move about the website in a smooth, intuitive fashion without forcing them to follow a specific direction. These tools should be placed at the top, side, or bottom margin of your web page, where they are easy to find. It lets your readers discover your website on their own explorations. Some simple techniques to help your readers explore your website are:
- Website search engine;
- Hyperlinked site map; and
- Table -of -Contents
Substantive content is what drives a site's success. According to John Oatis, editor of Reuters Internet Report, one of the most common errors found on websites is lackluster-messages written without interesting and specific details.
The web content writer needs to break his or her material into self-contained, readable chunks, or pages, of information. Each chunk is composed of several paragraphs that are brief, that are focused, and that stick to a single theme.
The chunks of information are usually linked to other chunks both inside and outside the website. This allows you to provide comprehensive coverage in a concise way. Make the content of each web page independent. Don't force subdivisions. Forcing readers to link with too many pages will make them click away from your website. If necessary, reduce your stories. Online text should be 50 percent shorter than printed material. Try not to exceed three full screens of text. If the web page exceeds more than three full screens, the reader will probably click off your website. Handle longer documents with care. A good example of handling longer documents is to list the key concepts on one page, with each key concept hyperlinked to another page where additional information concerning the key concepts is explained in deeper details. Another possible way of handling longer documents is to insert them into a PDF version which can be downloaded. Being an effective web writer means knowing what works and what doesn't work. Not everything is well suited to on-screen presentation.
Make sure the readers get all the information they need in as little time as possible. Adopt an inverted pyramid style, with the main points listed first, and conclude the paragraph with the smaller details. On the web, every sentence, every phrase, every word has to fight for its life. As a writer you need to pack the maximum punch in the minimum amount of text. The readers need to get the message in the shortest time possible. You can achieve this goal by writing short sentences, limiting paragraphs to one point and clearly making that point in the first sentence, editing paragraphs to between 55 to 75 words, and covering a topic in two or three short paragraphs.
Some methods of shortening your content can be accomplished by:
- Using list;
- Using color and boldface;
- Writing effective headings;
- Writing summaries; and
- Writing effective links
Establishing your credibility is especially important on the web because anyone can post material on a website and much of that material is not edited or verified by a professional. Thus, you have to write extra hard to earn a reader's trust. No where else are the words of Charles Rubin, author of thirty books about technology, ring more true than on the web, “You are what you write. People's opinion of you is determined to a large extent by your command of the written word.”
