Tips on Web Writing delivered as part of Web Training Week at The College at Brockport

1. This is not a dissertation
Writing for the web: Yes it is different
September 18, 2013

3. Why ?
Because:
•The Web is not paper.
•People use the web differently than other resources
•Different goals and messages
•The Web does not end.

4. What we’ll cover
•Audience
•Ways to Connect
•Web Style
•Brockport Style

5. The Audience
• Who is the website for?
• The answer is not
“Everyone.”
• Who is it not for?
• The answer is not
“everyone who doesn’t
understand my
specialty.”

6. The Fundamental Question
What’s in it for me?

7. How do you write for the web?
•Short, tight paragraphs
•Active Voice
•Make it “skimmable”
•Break It Up
•Don’t Bold Everything
•Think visually
•Avoid jargon
•Include calls to action

8. How to (cont’d)
•Use Hyperlinks
•Let your audience drill down
•Make your link text meaningful. DON’T USE
CLICK HERE. HULK NO LIKE CLICK HERE.
•Think outside the PDF
•Tell Stories

9. I know this is a web “writing” session
but...
•“Stories” does not have to be just words.
•Think about pictures, videos, other options
•For instance…

12. How not to write for the web
Let’s pick on USC!

13. What not to do
http://www.usc.edu/dept/ise/about/
The double welcome!
Long paragraphs
Huge blocks of text
Nothing visual
First named Department? Who cares?

14. Brockport Style

15. Style
Do you use our style guide?
www.brockport.edu/colcom
Time
Name of the School
Degrees
“Click here.” --- KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!!!

16. Cool Tricks that are Kind of Writing-
Related
•Expire a Page or an Update
•Calendar System
•Embedding

17. POP QUIZ
1) Where should your department’s mission statement be?
2) Should you ever use the phrase “click here” in a link?
3) How much information should be on your homepage?
4) Should you be making obscure jokes on your page?

18. Questions? Comments? Complaints?
Dave Tyler
23 Allen Building
dtyler@brockport.edu
@dtyler321