FIVE TECHNIQUES:WRITING FOR THE WEB
There are
five techniques I think are important, when it comes to writing for the web.
First, it’s
important to understand what today’s internet users want and expect. According to Jana Brech1 from Web
Wise Wording Users want web content that is:
· -easy
to skim & scan
· -written
in a style that is direct, concise, and factual
· -focused
around their needs (not yours)
· -has
credibility and inspires trust
Second, when writing for the web, you
need to know your audience. Who are you writing for? What are their needs? What will they come to
your web page to find or achieve? What is their level of expertise? Imagine who your user will be, and keep that
imagined person in mind as you write for him or her. Talk directly to your user. Provide
interaction. Build a profile of your various audience groups.
The third technique I
think is to build trust. Be factual and accurate. Where appropriate,
prove the verity of your information with links to trusted websites or by
quoting trusted authorities. Include only content which conforms to the purpose
of your website. Protect privacy and
respect copyright. Keep your content up to date. Publish your contact details. Provide
users with a sense of knowing who is behind the website. Spell-check your content. Invite people
to report errors, then fix them.
Fourth, I think it is
important to have good structure. Steven
Snell3 from Vandelay Design talks about the essentials of using
headings and sub-headings, lists with bullets as well as numeric lists, and
short paragraphs. He emphasizes the importance
of formatting using bold text and allowing the user to re-size text as needed.
The fifth technique I
think is design. Appealing to your
audience visually is essential. Steven
Snell3 shares the importance of “paying attention to text and
background color”. I also think it is
important that the overall presentation of the website needs to flow with fonts
and colors that work well together and are reader-friendly.
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