WWW—Writing Well for the Web Electronic communication requires a different style and technique than “pen and paper.”
by Kirsten McBride
“And don’t forget to put it on the Web, too.”
That is often the approach to electronic marketing—businesses produce written documents and make them do double duty. They use the copy in letters, catalogues and other marketing pieces and post the exact same thing on the Web. While this is tempting and time efficient, especially for small businesses that often do not have a specialized staff, it is not effective.
Writing effectively for the Web requires a different approach than longer print-based pieces. Surfers have short attention spans—scanning pages for relevant information without reading the text word-for-word—so you have to grab their attention and hold it long enough to get your point across.
The Web and other forms of electronic communication pose special challenges and offer unique advantages for direct and effective communication. But, to make the most of these advantages, we have to let go of some old writing habits.
10 Ways to Meet the Special Demands of Effective Online Communication:
Be concise and factual. Credibility is especially critical on the Web, where it is unclear who is behind the information and, therefore, whether it can be trusted.
Start with the conclusion. Follow the journalistic style of writing—the inverted pyramid—where you begin with the main conclusion and then broaden out to develop the story and fill in the details.
Make sure each screen has a key message, whether it’s to educate, discuss, promote or advocate. Your key message should lead the content of each screen. Readers shouldn’t have to scroll down to find it.
Draw readers in through headlines that use action verbs, are descriptive and pique readers’ interest by giving them an idea of what they’ll get if they read further.
Organize the information into bite-sized bits. Nobody likes to scroll through a long narrative to get to your point.
Use bullets, if possible, instead of complete paragraphs. It’s a lot easier on the eyes.
Make every word count. Brevity is the soul of the Web.
Spell-check your work. An electronic spell-checker can catch many spelling mistakes but not all. Be sure to proofread your work yourself too.
Go beyond the spell-checker. Look for errors of editorial style, and grammar and punctuation that traditional spell-checkers don’t catch.
Think globally if you wish to attract visitors outside the U.S. Once your message is out there, remember it is within reach of audiences around the world. Make sure your writing doesn’t contain humor or references that only make sense in the context of your language and culture.
Additional Tips To get the maximum benefit from your company’s Web site, make sure your site and the information you post reflects the image you wish to portray. In addition to the copy considerations outlined here, make sure your navigation and page design are clear. Also be careful about your choice of links. When you link your site to others, make sure they uphold the standards you have set for your own image and contain information that is relevant to your visitors.
Through the Web, you have the world at your fingertips; make the most of this incredibly powerful opportunity. Kirsten McBride, M.A., COMpro, helps her clients empower their written communication. She can be reached at (913) 599-3311 or .
