Web content
Search engine optimisation
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Web design Web content Search engine optimisation |
|||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Writing for the webby Dave RichesWhy is writing for the web different? Why is writing for the web different?Writing for the web is unique - it provides an interactive experience for the reader which is very different to traditional print media. The huge range of sites on the internet makes it even more difficult for your web site to stand out and be noticed. You need good web content but it needs to be written in the right way. The following tips and ideas will help you with writing web content for your site. What's not different?
The web writing styleResearch indicates that most content on web pages is practically scanned rather than read, so your web writing needs to be direct and to the point. Use brief sentences, short paragraphs and simple language. Use sub-headings, bold text and italicised text to break up the information. Present the information logically and write with your readers firmly in mind. Who are they? What do they want to know? Why are they visiting your web site? If you can answer questions like these you will find it easier to write content for your site. Using links in your writingLinks and anchors are an integral part of web writing. Links give the reader the ability to interact with a web page. This can be as a link to a 'named anchor' on the same page (for example, the menu at the top of this article links to the sub-headings, and the 'Top' button takes you back again). Links could also be to another page on the same site or to an external site. As a writer and web designer, you have some control over how these links appear to your readers. The internal links on our site open in the same window, but external links open in a new window. That allows you to click around our site in one window, and if you follow a link to another site you can easily return to our site. Using whitespace on a page'Whitespace' is what it says - the blank space not used for text or images. Liberal use of whitespace makes a page look less cluttered and allows the reader to find information more easily. White or very light coloured backgrounds are best, sites with dark backgrounds are hard to read for extended periods. The successful web sites with a lot of visitors all use a white background - take a look at Google, Adobe, Microsoft and Yahoo. The spacing between lines can also be increased to improve readability. Which of the following do you prefer?
Other web writing resourcesJakob Nielsen's website on usability and web design |
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
Good
writing standards are just as important on the internet as in print media.
Poor spelling and grammar shows a lack of professionalism - if
a company has poor attention to detail on their web site, what about other
parts of their business? Your web site may be a customer's first
impression of your business, so make sure it's a good one! If you are
writing web content yourself invest in a good style manual (it will help
you with all your writing, not just writing for the web).
