This document discusses best practices for writing web content. It recommends writing in a scannable way using highlighted keywords, meaningful sub-headings, bulleted lists, and one idea per paragraph. Users tend to scan web pages rather than read word-by-word. Headlines should be short, information-rich, and front-load keywords. Teasers are important to entice users to click through and should summarize the story while leaving some details undisclosed. Visual elements like photos and bullet lists can break up blocks of text.

1. Writing for the Web
Ujjwal Acharya
Most of the content is derived
from or based on writings of
Jakob Nielsen
http://www.useit.com/

2. This session
What we are going to discuss and do?
How and why are web writing different from news written for
newspapers, radios and televisions.
Discuss about headline and need to write teaser text
Discussion on paragraphing, sub-titling, visual aesthetics and use
of eye-friendly stuffs – photos / lists /info-boxes
Finally, try writing a small content for web using everything we
discussed

3. How Users Read on the Web
• They don't read, they just scan the page.
• 79 % of always scan page; only 16 % read word-by-word.
So what to do then?
Simple, write scannable text, using
• highlighted keywords
• meaningful sub-headings
• bulleted lists
• one idea per paragraph
• Concise text
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html

4. The F Theory
Of Pattern of Reading Web Content
By the way: F is for FAST! What were you thinking?

5. Reading on computer screen
Is it same as reading newspaper or book?

6. Headlines
The average headline is mere 5 words and 34 characters.
So, good headlines are
• short
• rich in information scent
• front-loaded with the keywords
• understandable out of context
• predictable
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/headlines-bbc.html

7. Teaser
The first paragraph of news is not the lead
Teaser is important for two reasons
• Users do not read much on the web
• On index page (such as homepage), only
headlines and teasers are displayed.
Teaser is a paragraph that tells the details of the news story but should also leave lure
user to click to read full story!
It should contain many of 5WH to summarize story but could leave one or two to keep
the interest!

8. Headlines & Teasers

9. Long story short
How to write news for web?
PARAGRAPHING
One idea per paragraph
One or two short sentence per paragraph
Blank line after each paragraph VISUAL STUFFS
Break after 4 or 5 paragraphs by sub-title or visual stuff • Photo
• Bulleted list
• Info box
• Hyperlink
SUB-TITLE
Could be simple ‘what to come’ summary or quote or
simple two-word description
No need to stress over to find clever sub-title

10. Example
Watch out for
• white spaces around
• Length of paragraphs
• Number of sentences in a paragraph
• Use of photos
• Use of sub-title

11. Let’s Begin!
Now,
Please write a
NEWS or
OPINION or
EXPERIENCE
on either
MEDIA or THANKYOU!
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE ujjwal.acharya@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/ujjwal.acharya
Approximately 400 words www.NepaliVoices.com