2. Writing for the Web
Agenda
Introduction
Print vs. Web Writing
Tips
Writing Workshop
3. Writing for the Web
Introduction
Web Presence Coordinator at the
University of Iowa
10 years working in Web
Focus on information
architecture, content strategy, and user
experience
4. Writing for the Web
Print vs. Web Writing
Print Web
Long paragraphs Short paragraphs
OK best
Space dictates Writer dictates
structure structure
Faster to read 25% longer to read
Passive Active
Word-for-word Quick scan
5. Writing for the Web
Why bother?
Fewer Customer Service Calls
Better Reputation
Higher Rankings in Search Engines
Higher Profits
Other reasons?
6. Writing for the Web
Tips
6 tips for writing great web content
7. Writing for the Web
Keep Content Concise
Get to the point as quickly as possible.
Cut out unnecessary information.
Use easy-to-understand, shorter, common
words and phrases.
Avoid long paragraphs and sentences.
Test your writing style using readability
formulas. (read-able.com)
8. Writing for the Web
Use Headings to Break Up
Long Articles
Consider organizing your thoughts in
logical chunks with an outline first
Use simple and concise headings
Use keyword-rich headings to aid
skimming
Example:
Good Use of Headings
9. Writing for the Web
Help Readers Scan Your
Webpages Quickly
Inverted pyramid
writing style
Keywords in page
titles, headings and
links
one idea per
paragraph
half the word count
of print (or less)
10. Writing for the Web
Lists, Formatting, and Links
Break paragraphs into bulleted points
Example: SWAP Grants Aid Recycling
Programs
Highlight important information in bold
Use links to highlight keywords and
information
Example:
IRS.gov Help & Resources
11. Writing for the Web
Use Visuals Strategically
Make sure images you use support textual
content.
Avoid stock photos
Example:
Drought’s Footprint
12. Writing for the Web
Use PDF Documents Sparingly
Disadvantages
User forced to leave your website
Content may not be accessible
User may not have the correct software
Can take a long time to open
Won’t rank as high in Google results
13. Writing for the Web
The 6 Tips
Concise content
Use headings
Most important content at the top
Make information easy-to-scan
Use photos, charts, and graphs that
illustrate content
Use PDFs sparingly, or not at all
14. Writing for the Web
Workshop
Lemme Elementary School Profile
15. Writing for the Web
Thanks for Participating!
linkedin.com/in/lauramchristenson/
@mcmahonorama
Editor's Notes
Pretty informal, please ask questions
Studies of content usability typically find that removing half of a website's words will double the amount of information that users actually get. Jakob Nielsen
F-shaped reading pattern
because users tend to read the first few words of headings, titles and links when they're scanning a webpage.Yahoo Finance follows all 13 design guidelines for tab controls, but usability suffers due to AJAX overkill and difficult customization.13 design guidelines for tab controls are all followed by Yahoo Finance, but usability suffers due to AJAX overkill and difficult customization.Place important information at the top of your articles.
Shows how a list has the most focus on this page.
Photos, charts and graphs can enhance readability when they replace or reinforce long blocks of textual content.
Usability issues of PDFs – user leaves your website and has no navigation
