Writing for the Web is the new frontier of the publishing world, with a whole set of guidelines and techniques all its own. Apart from the golden rules of writing that apply to any format, Web writing demands that you pay particular attention to the look of your article, as well as its content. To help you along the way, suite101.com offers its writers loads of help and advice.
Writing for the Web Tips and Tricks
Online readers behave differently than print readers. Think about your own approach to reading from a computer screen and you'll get the idea. With that in mind the look of your article is of extreme importance. To ensure that your readers not only stick with your article to the very end, but link through to your other work, apply the following rules-of-thumb:
- KISS. Keep It Short and Simple. Paragraphs should be no longer than 75 words, and the total length of your article no more than 600 words. Any more and your readers' interest will begin to wane. The internet is all about clarity and speed, so give your them what they want.
- Use subheadings and bullet point lists. Reading off a screen is more difficult than reading from a print page, so making your article the most visually appealing possible is necessary to captivating your audience.
- Include photos. Nothing will make your content stand out more than quality photos or artwork. Always make sure your artwork is credited properly.
- Leave the first person point of view to blogs. When readers are looking for informative content on a particular subject the accent needs to be on professional objectivity, so use your writing skills to give your content style and voice, but avoid "I" and "me".
- Learn all there is to know about links. Links allow readers to "link through" to other Web content that give them further information on the subject if they choose to go deeper in their research.
- Key words are key. These are words or expressions that will most likely be used by your potential readers when they perform a search using a search engine. The more key words that are included in your title, opening paragraph and article body, the better the chances of your content appearing on the first page of search results, and the better the chances a reader with click through to your work.
Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way to writing effectively for the Web. Still have questions? Sutie101.com offers its members answers to frequently asked question, tech help and troubleshooting, a Web writing handbook and lots more tips and tricks. So grab yourself a big cup of coffee, do some finger warm-ups, and get writing with suite101.com!
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