Writing for the Web: Three Tips You Can Use Today

Do you want to write for the web? There are skills you need to acquire: web writing is very different from writing for print. It’s essential that you make your web content easy-to-read and that it produces the results you want.

Let’s look at three tips you can use today.

1. Write Short Sentences and Short Paragraphs

People don’t read on the web. They skim content looking for what they need. This means that if your content is unappealing, without punctuation and with long paragraphs, visitors will quickly click away from your page. Did you know that most web surfers spend just three seconds on each page?

When you write with short sentences and short paragraphs and make your writing easy to understand, it increases the likelihood that people arriving at your web page will actually stay to read it.

But what do we really mean when we say “write short sentences and write short paragraphs”? Basically we mean that you should write as you speak. Don’t waffle, and avoid jargon. In essence: be clear.

2. Realize that Page Titles and Page Descriptions Are Free Advertising

People will arrive at your content via the search engines. They search using keywords. If you don’t include your keywords in your article or other web content, you won’t be found.

However, there’s more to writing web content than using keywords. Your page titles and page descriptions are vitally important. Page titles and page descriptions form part of the code of a web page.

I like to include page titles and page descriptions as part of the material I deliver when I write for someone else; when I write for myself I automatically put them into the code.

When someone searches using a keyword, a page of search results is returned. The page title and the page description are a small, free ad for your content. Don’t omit them, they’re vital.

3. Ensure Your Graphics Are Relevant

Should you include graphics with your web content?

If graphics are vital to the content, then yes you should. For example if you’re selling a product, you need to include plentiful graphics because the reader can’t see and handle the product.

However, be careful if your graphics are merely ornamental. Remember the three second rule — searchers will click away from your content if they can’t find what they need almost instantaneously. If they’re not looking for pretty graphics, and are looking for information, your ornamental graphics ensure that they will quickly click away from your page.

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