Web Writing
« Previous EntriesHow the Internet Changed Writing in the 2000s
Thursday, March 11th, 2010Back in 1997, Jakob Nielsen looked at how people read web content (basically, they scan it) and argued web writing should
highlight keywords (often using hypertext links)
use straight, clear headlines and subheads
deliver one idea per paragraph
cut word count to half that of conventional writing
employ bulleted lists.
Many web writers, whether they’ve read Nielsen’s advice [...]
Ten Words to Ban from All Websites
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010In twelve years of running digital copywriting agency Sticky Content, there are a few words and phrases I’ve grown to hate with a passion. If I had my way, I’d ban them from all websites and for some sound commercial reasons, too.
View the original here.
Ten Pathways to Inspired Writing
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010As writers, inspiration is one of the most important of the criteria for success. Without it, well, our writing ends up pretty lame.
For example, a huge percentage of blogs see their demise before the six month milestone. Why?
Because people don’t know what to write about–writing becomes a chore and when that happens, [...]
Five Rules for Better Web Writing
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of putting together a website or social media campaign, is the copy.
Many people assume that the same words that work for print campaigns or materials can just be copied and pasted for the web, but that’s just not true. The web is an entirely different medium, and [...]
10 Tips on Writing the Living Web
Monday, December 21st, 2009Some parts of the web are finished, unchanging creations – as polished and as fixed as books or posters. But many parts change all the time:
news sites bring up-to-the-minute developments, ranging from breaking news and sports scores to reports on specific industries, markets, and technical fields
weblogs, journals, and other personal sites provide a window [...]
Writing Style for Print vs. Web
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009I’ve spent many columns explicating the differences between the Web and television, which can be summarized as lean-forward vs. lean-back:
On the web, users are engaged and want to go places and get things done. The Web is an active medium.
While watching TV, viewers want to be entertained. They are in relaxation mode and vegging [...]
The Six Cs of Killer Web Content
Monday, December 14th, 2009People read quickly today, like they do everything else. They scan-read emails, websites, newspapers, and magazines. People read particularly quickly on the Web. ‘Most people just look at the first couple of words — and only read on if they are engaged by those words,’ according to Eyetrack III, a fascinating study of how people [...]
From Print to Web: Tips for the Transitioning Writer
Friday, December 4th, 2009Thanks to a few lucky opportunities at school, my transition from print to web was a gradual process, and a move that I made voluntarily. That’s not the case for a large number of writers currently making the same transition.
The print journalism and publishing industries are in big trouble, with no sign of turning [...]
How to Write for the Web
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009Online writers can communicate with their readers in many more forms than the traditional news article. Blogs, wikis and discussion boards dissolve the barrier between writer and reader, creating a more informal and interactive writing environment.
Take advantage of this opportunity and distinguish yourself by writing in a clean, active, conversational style that will make [...]
30 Things That You Can Do Now to Increase Readability of Web Content
Friday, November 13th, 2009When I asked what the most important aspect of design was, many of you replied that it was readability; how easy it is to read your content.
People come to your blog to read articles, and the easier they are to read, the better. A design that obscures the content will only turn visitors away.
So what [...]
