Tips on Writing for the Web
Delta College Web Publishing
- Write for Scanability – Structure articles with two or even three levels of headings (a general page heading plus subheads - and sub-sub-heads when appropriate). People prefer to scan web pages for information, so don’t force them to read through large amounts of content. It's best to present a short version up front and then give users the option to read more.
- Use Meaningful Sub-Headings - not clever ones
- Be Succinct - Writing for the web is like packing a suitcase for a trip. Layout everything you think you’ll need, then cut it in half. Half the word count (or less) than conventional writing for print.
- One Idea Per Paragraph – recommended
- Headline Text Should Stand On Its Own and make sense when the rest of the content is not available.
- Use Lists – Unordered lists (bullets) Ordered lists (alphabetical, numerical)
- Highlight Keywords – within body content
- Structure Information in ways that are meaningful to your audience. There is a balance between how information wants to be organized and how the users want to find it.