3 Tips for Better Web Writing
Cross-posted from the 30 Day Essay.
Writing for the web requires a unique skill set as opposed to other types of writing. Unless you’re writing a blog post or a tutorial, long blocks of text can act as a barrier to information. Web users are generally busy people looking for specific information, and they scan pages quickly until they find what they’re looking for. Let’s take a look at three tips when writing for the web.
1. Keep it Brief
Writing everything about a topic on the web is so 1998. Web content should be written for what people need to know, and the best way to do this is to get to know your audience. Think about finding information from your site visitors viewpoint. What do they want to find?
2. Optimize Your Sentences
Cleaning up your sentences and optimizing them is good for any type of writing. Here are two things to focus on when writing for the web:
- Speak directly to your visitor. Use “you” text as often as possible. Ex: “You can save up to $50!” as opposed to “Save up to $50!”
- Write simply and directly. Active voice can help with this. Ex. “We carry Nike shoes” vs. “Nike shoes are one of the brands that we carry.”
Keep your content short and to the point. Web users generally want to find information and act on it. The shorter and more personal you are, the better.
3. Categorize Your Content
Dividing content into categories is a great way to help a busy web user find what they’re looking for. Offer your web content in small, digestible pieces so your visitors can get the information they want quickly. For example, you might categorize answers to questions by topic, or categorize your content by the type of visitor (member vs. non-member). Long paragraphs are generally unnecessary.
Dividing up content with headings is a good way to visually categorize information. Headings help web users find what they’re looking for quickly. Just be sure to keep your headings parallel by using the same pattern of words to describe your content.
The Goal: A Better Experience
Writing for the web largely falls under the umbrella of both content strategy and usability. Better writing on your website makes for a better experience and a more usable site. And better experiences bring visitors back.
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