Web Writing Tips

If you’re developing copy for your Web site, we offer these tips for effective writing for the Web. These are the same guidelines Web editors at PMC follow when developing sites for clients.

Organization

Make the content easy to understand no matter what point of entry is used. Web writing is not linear; it is circular. Make sure your audience can understand your message by thinking of all the ways people access, interpret, and use information.

If some sections of your site require that visitors first read explanatory or preliminary information elsewhere on the site, make sure visitors can’t go directly to the secondary information without first viewing the preliminary information. For example, if you want your alumni to make a gift to your school and they have to follow a certain procedure to do so, make sure they can’t access your make-a-gift section without first going through your rules section.

Accuracy

Pay attention to detail. Verify your content, proofread, test links, and spell check your Web pages before they are launched. More than anything else, your content is the image you project to your audience.

Consistency

Keep the pages within your site editorially and visually consistent. Don’t change style from page to page because it is confusing to the reader and minimizes your message’s impact.

Chunking

Write copy in easy-to-understand bits or "chunks" of information. Many people find reading text on a computer screen slow and uncomfortable. In research conducted by Jacob Neilsen, it was determined that reading from the Web is 25 percent slower than reading from paper. Neilsen suggests that Web site pages should contain 50 percent of the copy a traditional printed page would include.

By "chunking" your information, you have more control over how your message is received. A current recommendation is four to five sentences per page, but we recommend writing in the way that best serves your audience’s needs.

Stickiness

"Stickiness" is the quality that holds your audience on your Web site and makes them want to return. Writing copy that is compelling and easy to understand is an important part of creating stickiness.

Highlighting Copy

Don’t use italics to set off copy on Web sites because it is difficult to read and puts extra, unnecessary spaces at the end of the italics area. Here are some alternatives to using italics.

For a book title:

"The Grapes of Wrath"

To refer to a character’s name and the play in which that character appears:

Jamie Tyron in "A Long Day’s Journey Into Night"

Citing a journal excerpt:

— Journal of Medicine

The most important tip for writing for the Web is true of all good writing: make it clear and interesting to your reader. If you’re not sure what your audience needs from your Web site, do some research or conduct a survey before you start.