Writing Effectively for the Internet

Why Write Differently for the Web Than for Print?

Computer monitors are harder on the eyes than paper. They are fairly low-resolution, so the words are not as sharp as they are on paper. As a result, studies have shown that people read slower on the web, by about 25%.

Additionally, while the contrast between ink and paper is usually strong - and fairly predictable - monitor settings vary widely according to both personal preferences and the monitor itself. Differing brightness and contrast levels can greatly effect the legibility of your text.

One of the great things about the internet is the ease with which information can be found and accessed. Your readers are most likely looking for fast information. They want text they can read or scan quickly to find what they are looking for, so organization and readability are paramount.

Most folks find it fatiguing - or at least inconvenient - to read long articles online. Long paragraphs and long lines are problematic; long pages can seem overwhelming. While a few people will print them out, others will just leave the website in frustration.

Pages incuding lots of text may also take a long time to download. Research shows that people are likely to wait only a few seconds for a page to download before they move on.

You can optimize your reader's experience by writing, organizing and presenting your text for maximum effectiveness on the web.

Formatting Your Text for the Internet

Given the limitations of the web, you'll want to take special care in writing and organizing the text on your page.

Writing tips

• Briefly summarize your article with an engaging introduction.
• Keep your text short & to the point. Less is more.
• Keep your paragraphs brief, ideal length is no more than 3 sentences long.
• Use dynamic words to keep your reader engaged.
• Be friendly and conversational.
• When writing, take care to naturally use your website's keywords.
• Don't underline text; on the web underlining is reserved for links.
• Don't use ALL CAPs; on the web this is interpreted as shouting.

Formatting tips

• Don't indent the first line of each paragraph. On the web, paragraphs are set off by a double line break, rather than indentations, making the page easier to read.
• Italic text often looks jagged on screen; use it sparingly.
• Leave plenty of white space; this is easy on the eyes.
• Use lists (like this one!); they're easy to scan and read.
• Use headings and subheadings to make information easy to locate.
• Keeping paragraphs brief & using lots of headings encourages folks to keep reading.
• Keep lines (from margin to margin) short, about 12-14 words. This is the way books are designed, too.

Link presentation

For example,

Please browse our selection of Beat Generation books.

is better than

Click here to buy Beat Generation books.
or
Click here to buy Beat Generation books.

Finishing Up

What's Next? Promotion: Submitting Your Site to the Directories

Questions?

Wishing you much success!
cheers ~
Denise