Are you struggling to write highly effective content for your website? Go easy on blaming yourself. Writing for the web is very different than writing for print.
Web writing has to be different because we don’t read web pages in the same way we read a book or magazine. The light given off by a computer screen can be harsh on our eyes. We may struggle with glare and inaequate contrast between the letters and the background. We may also have trouble adjusting our screens and chairs for comfort.
Plus reading on a computer reminds us of looking at a TV, another box that emits light. And a mouse seems like a television remote, also a device for controlling a light-emitting box. So most of us treat web pages with the same short attention span we bring to TV programs. It’s click, click, click away.
The typical web reader will quickly click off your website if the page seems boring or complicated. She scans text, avoiding areas of densely written content and can easily miss information. To slow down the clicking:
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Get to the point fast. Think like you’re writing an ad.
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Use short sentences and paragraphs.
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Include informative subheads.
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Put information in lists with bullets or numbers.
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Put key information in bold.
Mara Braverman
Braverman Marketing & Communications, LLC