Writing For The Web

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Writing
for the
Web
(how to follow the rules when the rules don’t exist)
elizabethcawein

the challenges
No real rules
Many different styles co-existing in one place
The way we use the Web dictates that it lends itself to a more conversational style. It gives people the tendency to want to DO THIS!!!!!
PLEASE DON’T DO THAT!!!!

the challenges
And truthfully, there ARE rules.
Like the generally accepted rule that CAPSLOCK = yelling.
Only, really? Even that is changing.

the challenges
The web allows for language
to be more demonstrative.
Whereas in formal print writing
you’d never do THIS to emphasize a point,
in Web writing, you might.
You might also italicize or bold.

the challenges
So maybe it’s not accurate to say
that there aren’t any rules.
It’s more like this.
confusion

overcoming the confusion
First things first:
Get to know your audience.
Who are your readers?
What is the demographic?
What knowledge of your topic do they already have before arriving at your site?

Now that you know who you’re writing for, establish a style and stick to it.
In this case, style refers to a few things.
Jargon specific to your topic, industry or company
AP Style, Chicago, MLA
Tone and comprehension level

Now that you’ve established your style,
be consistent.
No matter your industry,
whether you write copy for a major corporate site or your own blog, consistency is the key
to establishing credibility
and producing top notch web writing.

the editor’s red pen
I’m not likely to spend too much time on a site riddled with errors.
Read and re-read. It’s often much easier to spot errors in published works than it is in a draft – even when they’re both on a computer screen.
The web allows you to publish and quickly edit if you do find anything amiss.

some thoughts on length
How long is too long for the web?
Studies show that most people don’t read past the jump
in a newspaper article. The same principles hold true with the web – if long-form writing is the goal of your site, you’ll have to grab your readers within the first few sentences.
If your goal is to be informative, consider condensing information and using bullet points – make the info easy
to consume quickly while giving people the option to click to read more.

the search engines
There’s always a way to give your writing
a little SEO treatment.
Consider key words when you write
Tag, tag, tag
Use alt tags on images
Use title tags on links

the end
Know your audience
Develop style
Keep it consistent
Edit, edit, edit
Questions?

]
Tips for Blog Writing
http://website101.com/social-media/how-write-blog-writing/ Blog Writing
http://www.problogger.net/battling-bloggers-block/ Tips for Battling Bloggers Block
Tips for Corporate Copywriting
http://www.copyblogger.com/copywriting-101/ Copywriting 101
http://www.copyblogger.com/seo-copywriting/ SEO writing

Writing For The Web

by Luna Web on Apr 26, 2010

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Writing For The Web — Presentation Transcript