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Writing For The Web
ave you ever tried to read Works, by Jonathan and Lisa
your local newspaper Price, “because text is more
online? How about the New difficult to read on-screen,
York Times or the Wall Street people often read slower,
Journal? It just isn't the same. comprehend less, recall less, and
Do you know why? Because articles do less in response.”
meant for print don't translate
well to the web, and the rules Words can be linked to other
that apply to writing content for pages and sources
the internet are different than
those for print. What constitutes The closest thing you're going to
quality content offline does not get to a link in a newspaper is
necessarily constitute quality when a story is split into two
content online. sections and you're told the
story is continued on page 9. But
How the web is different when it comes to the web, words
and images can be linked to other
Text is hard to read web pages, photos, videos,
sounds, and a myriad of other
Typical computer monitors have a things. Being able to link is the
resolution of 96 dpi (dots per primary tool that web writers can
inch). Compare that with a take advantage of that print
printout from a laser printer writers don't have at their
that has a resolution of 600 dpi, disposal.
or a magazine page that can be
upwards of 2400 dpi, and it's not How you should write
hard to figure out why the text
on a computer places a strain on Write less
the eyes. According to the book
Hot Text – Web Writing That Because of the strain placed on
readers when reading on a into a readable web article is to
computer screen, you can't expect transform it into a top 10 list.
them to read a 5,000 word Lists make it easy for readers to
article. Research has shown that scan and read only what they are
most readers tend to scan an interested in.
article before reading. Articles
longer than 1,000 words will Use plenty of links and make
likely turn off your audience and them obvious
result in few people reading your
article (and therefore fewer Since linking is the primary
visitors coming back to your site advantage of a web writer, it
in the future). You should should be used early and often.
condense your writing to include Linking allows you to provide the
only the most crucial points and reader with a roadmap of
eliminate everything else. information. With your article as
Writing successfully for the web a starting point, your reader
forces you to present only the should be able to find more
necessary content and leave the information about any and all
rest out. topics discussed in the article.
Common things to link to include
Utilize headings and lists reference pages, news sources,
audio and video, forums, and
Since people tend to scan web applications that will enhance
articles as opposed to reading the reading experience. The best
them from the first word to the thing about links is that the
final word, you should make it user can choose which ones to
easy for them to find what follow and which ones to ignore.
they're looking for by using That allows you to reference
headings, bold type, and lists. A something without citing the
great way to turn a print article entire thing as you would have to
in a print article. articles with keywords to the
point where they are barely
One of the most important things readable. But it does mean that
to remember when linking is to you should write titles and
make it visually obvious that a headings that actually convey
section of text is a link. Five what your article discusses. For
years ago it was common place to example, this article could be
use the standard blue underlined called “Content Evolution” or
text for linking, but as the web “Digital Distribution.” If it
has evolved, most designers have were a magazine article, those
abandoned that style for better titles or other titles might have
looking links. Site designers can been more appealing, but they
still make links obvious by don't capture the essence of the
consistently using a different article, which is “Writing for
color than standard text and by the Web.” If someone were to
providing a hover effect, such as search for an article on writing
underlining the link and changing online, they'd likely use a
it's color, when users place phrase like “how to write for the
their cursor over the link. This web” or “writing practices for
subconsciously tells them that the web” which would turn up this
the text is a link. article, but probably wouldn't
turn up an article with one of
Write with the search engines those other titles.
in mind
Resource: Price, Jonathan, and
Since much of the content on the Lisa Price. Hot Text - Web
web is found via search, it makes Writing That Works. Indiana: New
sense to write with the search Riders, 2002.
engines in mind. No, this doesn't
mean that you should stuff your
About the Author:
Adam McFarland owns iPrioritize - to-do lists that can be edited at any time from any place in the world. Email, print, check from your mobile phone, subscribe via RSS, and share with others.
Read more articles by: Adam McFarland
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