 FIVE TIPS TO WRITING CONTENT FOR A WEB PAGE Writing page content for a website seems a simple process (indeed it should be). The single biggest problem with website content is that is most often authored into an MS Word document. In this format the content flows and makes complete sense to its author and indeed the reader. The problem occurs when this content is transferred into a website template. Writing for the Web is not as simple as copying and pasting text from documents designed to be read in hard copy. People read and use text on the screen in a very different way from printed text. MS Word is an ideal starting tool for bringing together content from many sources. You can use the resulting document to quickly organise the resulting content into the structure (navigation) for your site. Thereafter there are a number of things you can do to edit your page content and make it suitable for use online. Facts A: People read slowly on screen; in fact you will read at 190‐260 words per minute on‐screen whereas off‐screen your pace will increase to 250‐350 words per minute. B: Online users are generally impatient, they do not want to spend time figuring out what you are trying to tell them by wading through paragraphs of text. C: Being online is an active / unstructured process so be aware readers will tend to jump around more rather than analyse material carefully and sequentially. Follow these Five Tips and you will be more likely to get your content web friendly. 1. THE READER KNOWS NOTHING Try and put yourself in the position of someone who has no background knowledge of your industry or business. Therefore: •
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Write out all acronyms the first time they appear on the page Provide context to any statement you make Avoid internal jargon, acronyms or excessive development‐speak which could alienate a reader o Studies of search terms show customers search in plain English so make sure you write in plain English too o Analyse frequently searched terms and write accordingly Read your text out‐loud to check if it is not too lengthy. Copyright © Plus Marketing Pty Ltd. Ground Floor / 245 Pacific Highway North Sydney 2060. www.plusmarketing.com.au 2. KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET Your readers will scan your content and quickly lose interest if the text is too heavy. Therefore: •
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Ask yourself "Is this really a need‐to‐know piece of information?" If not, take it out Keep your content for any page to a maximum of 400 words Break text up into small paragraphs o Less than three sentences per paragraph o Keep your first paragraph to a single sentence Use headlines Use bullet points and lists o 7 points is quite enough Illustrate your points with an image o Pictures say 1,000 words (and take less time to read) If you find you are always rambling (with valid information); then consider creating a downloadable white paper. Stick to the point ‐ do not digress; try stating o Your promise to the reader o Evidence that promise is credible o A reason for the reader to take some immediate action. 3. MAKE EVERY PAGE STAND‐ALONE Any page of your site may be the first page a user reads. Users will rarely begin reading from the home page and continue reading in a linear way as they would with a book. In fact, the majority will be referred to your pages from a search engine or from an external link and they will often not arrive via the home page. Therefore: •
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Write out all acronyms the first time they appear on the page Provide context to any statement you make Link back to further resource material relevant to the subject Keep each page brief ‐ no more than 400 words per page. 4. USE QUICK REFERENCE BOXES The Web is an active medium so forcing people to scroll down pages is time‐consuming and annoying. Therefore: •
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Place links near your text to additional documents and web sites the user will select in‐depth information Ensure links are “above the fold” which is the typical place where the screen will require scrolling for the user to read more. Copyright © Plus Marketing Pty Ltd. Ground Floor / 245 Pacific Highway North Sydney 2060. www.plusmarketing.com.au 5. SET PAGES IN POWERPOINT Your screen is a different size to that of a piece of A4 Paper. That’s why MS Word will trick you into thinking your content will work. To get a better guide: • Take the state of mind of writing a presentation into your writing project o You are encouraging customers to contact you, so you don’t need to say it all. • Set your finished page content into PowerPoint; it’s designed for your screen so it’s more akin to a web page. o You’ll probably find you’ will want / need to edit it to make it fit o You’ll be encouraged to use bullet points o This is a good practice for ensuring your finished content is web ready Copyright © Plus Marketing Pty Ltd. Ground Floor / 245 Pacific Highway North Sydney 2060. www.plusmarketing.com.au 