I am always intrigued by the strategies behind blogging and internet writing– surprisingly different when I am writing for one of my books. Brian Orme, from ChurchLeaders.com, just sent me this article he wrote about 10 Web Dos and Don’ts.
10 Dos and Don’ts of Web Writing
by Brian Orme
Dos of Web Writing
Do write simple, smart copy
Most people don’t read on the Web-they scan. Reading on the Web is more difficult than reading a book or magazine (25% slower) so do your best not to be long-winded or overly descriptive. Get to the point, but do it with style. It’s wise to keep your writing at an 8th grade level (or lower) as well. You can check this through the editing tools in Word. When it comes to Web writing, simple is smart.
Do Think Like a User
Try and put yourself in the users place. Don’t focus so much on your company, blog or brand-focus on what you have to offer the reader. It sounds like a small tweak but if you do this right your readers will notice. This also has to do with tone. Make sure and decide what kind of tone you’re aiming for and stick with it throughout your writing.
Do Prioritize Content
Make sure and emphasize the right content and organize your copy in a clear, logical order. Use headings and sub headings for better scanning. Break up long paragraphs, use bullet points for lists and make sure that you chunk your copy from most important to least. In this digital scanning age you don’t get a lot of chances to connect with readers. Make sure your best is at the top.
Do Use Standard Web Practices
Keep your fonts simple and standard. Avoid fancy or cute letters in your copy. First, they’re hard to read; second, most users won’t see them anyway unless they have the specialized font loaded on their system. Also, when using hyperlinks keep to the standard blue and underlined.
Do Proofread Your Copy
This is a simple but critical step. Don’t overlook the importance of reviewing (or having someone else review) your writing before you hit publish.
Don’ts of Web Writing
Don’t Bury Your Lead
Write good headlines/headings to keep your readers interest. Do this by front loading your headlines with a good subject + verb structure. Don’t bury the subject at the end of the headline. Use this principle for the headings on your blog, announcements and email subject lines. Now that I think of it-especially with email subject lines.
Don’t Use Insider Jargon
This is hard to avoid because we love our “insider” words and phrases-they’re like second nature to most of us. However, these words are often distracting and unhelpful to the user. Use simple words and define any difficult terms. Insider language is an easy way to alienate users. This isn’t dumbing down your content-it’s making it clear.
Don’t Overuse Bold Fonts or All Caps
In studies people often pass over bulk sections of bolded words or all caps. Bold works with short headlines but not lengthy sections of copy. Keep it easy on the eyes and avoid chunks of heavy bold or caps in your copy.
Don’t Use Long Blocks of Text
Break up your text into short paragraphs or bullets and lists when possible. Avoid long stretches of copy that slow down the reader. Users need more pauses and breaks when reading Web copy, do your best to make your copy crisp, clean and with quick breaks for the reader to scan quickly.
Don’t Get Crazy with Your Nav
This last point has more to do with usability but it’s important to use standard practices for navigation to help your readers find what they’re looking for on your site. The nav is a tool-don’t break it by making it hard to read or placing it in a weird location.
What would you add to the web dos and don’ts?
Thanks for posting! Everyone can learn a little something about blog etiquette 🙂
I liked most of these, but I’d push back against the “Don’t use insider jargon” tip. It’s definitely important to be clear online (or anywhere else for that matter), but I think sacrificing a distinct voice and vocabulary is too risky, at least with jargon.
Consider Seth Godin and some of his vocabulary: lizard brain, tribes, linchpins, shipping, purple cow, and so on.
I know Seth isn’t always a good example to copy – he’s earned permission to break many of the rules. But take any of your favorite bloggers. Most rely on a bunch of words as shortcuts.
I think that’s good for bloggers, creating their own vocabulary and using that to zero in on the readers who actually read.
Like inside jokes, insider jargon might turn off the outsiders. But that can be a good thing. It brings the insiders closer together.
Anyone can read any blog out there. But only a few do. It’s the bloggers’ job to target the few who read, not cater to the masses who don’t.
So, biggest takeaway from this: no matter how awesome your post is, there’s always going to be someone who disagrees with part of it. :>)
-Marshall Jones Jr.
Marshall,
Great push back for sure 🙂 I think there are times we need to break the rules (and these are more guidelines than rules, for sure). I wrestled with this point myself. I really think a lot of it has to do with what your site’s/blog’s purpose is on the Web. There are times when “insider” language works, but it’s something to use with clear purpose and discernment.
Best,
B
If you want to improve your familiarity only keep visiting this site and be updated with
the latest information posted here.
Glass- The Known and the Unknown Glass is an amorphous solid material made up of sand, silica and soda. Glass is also referred as Super cooled liquid". Glass can be made transparent and flat or into other shapes and colors.Durin [read more..]
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This
is an extremely well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the
post. I’ll certainly return.
Hey there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that
would be okay. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward
to new updates.
Get Affordable Health Insurance In Tennessee If youve been receiving TennCare or any other affordable health insurance benefits in Tennessee, but have found yourself no longer eligible, you must search elsewhere for affordable health insurance i [read more..]
Car Rentals in Naples Italy Naples, the capital province of the Campania region, is host to many historic and scenic destinations in the southern part of Italy Mt. Vesuvius stands imposing as it can be, reminds of a tumultuous past of deadly volcanic eruption that covered the whole of Pompeii. The charms of the Isles of Capri and Ischia entice onlookers of b [read more..]
Vessia Ristorante makes you feel at home The reasons we keep coming back to Vessia Ristorante in Irvine (in Orange County, Calif.) are pretty simple.The food, the service, the room.It's a special place, but not in that big, showy, speci [read more..]
Midsummer House Another award comes to Midsummer House this year in the guise of the BMW Square Meal Award for Best Out-of-Town Restaurant 2005. Midsummer House is in good company, the previous winners of this award [read more..]
Aptitude Tests If you seem a little lost and dont seem to know what you want to do with the rest of your life, or if you are perhaps looking for a career change, you may want to take some aptitude tests to see where [read more..]
Products To Help You And Baby Get Organized When you have a baby, even having enough space isn't enough to get you organized and to help you stay that way. With a little research and some good advice, you and baby can be well on your way t [read more..]
All about Business Credit Cards Credit card companies nowadays offer business credit cards with lucrative schemes. A study of these credit card companies reveals that using these cards is advantageous for you in many ways. To begin [read more..]
Using Shelves and Baskets to Organize your Bathroom Accessories Do you have old baskets in the shed you are thinking about putting in the yard sale or garbage? Stop; you can redecorate the baskets. Redecorating the items is easy, which you can create an organizer [read more..]
There’s More To Sports Eyewear Than Meets The Eye – Part One: Eye Safety With more and more people participating in outdoor and extreme sports adequate eye protection is a must. The two biggest dangers to the eyes in this environment are ultra violet (UV) light from the su [read more..]
Christmas Tree Ornament Tips When it comes to decorating, we are all perfectionists about our Christmas tree. After all, it happens only once a year and the decorations are a treasure to behold. The finishing touch, for any Chris [read more..]
An Overview of Death Valley Describing Death Valley brings a potpourri of superlatives: hottest, driest, lowest. In 1913, the valley hit a record 134 degrees Fahrenheit! But despite its brutal image, Death Valley is a beloved me [read more..]
Contracts with Web Site Designers and Hosting Companies There are many aspects to website development agreement, particularly if there are to be on-going things for the designer to do once the site has been set up. The core issues that should be considere [read more..]
The Road to Hana- The First Half Hana is a sleepy little town located in Maui on the backside of Haleakala. Hana is a fairly quiet town with only one or two hotels. It has a small public beach that when compared to some of the othe [read more..]
The Joy of The Lord The Joy of The Lord. Acts 20:21-20:29 (NIV, NIRV, TNIV, KJV) The Joy of The lord. Acts 20:21-29. The Bible states that The Joy of the Lord is My strength my rock and my shield. I am witness to [read more..]
A Skiers Paradise In France The ResortCourchevel 1850 is the place to enjoy a luxury ski holiday. Boasting the largest skiable area in the world, Courchevel is one of the most popular ski resorts. This high altitude glacial reso [read more..]
When I had conceived of my wedding in the past, my plans had always been pretty simple The funny thing is that, in all the other aspects of our wedding, we had agreed on things. We have had no problems picking out a wedding chapel, a wedding reception location, or even thank you cards f [read more..]
Natural Science Organic Fertilizer After 75 years in the agricultural industry with proven success, Natural Science has finally come up with the perfectly natural organic fertilizer for all you garden-makers and organic farmers.Natural [read more..]
CRIMINAL REHABILITATION Summary: Criminal rehabilitation has been viewed as the most effective way of converting criminals into responsible citizens For some, most criminals are basically dead men walking. But for others, prison is just a place where criminals get a good spanking and endless lectures on behavior until they learn to be righteous. T [read more..]
An Analysis Of Lexmark In 2005, Berkshire Hathaway bought about a million shares of Lexmark. I havent followed this story closely, but I assume the stock was purchased by Lou Simpson rather than Warren Buffett. I have only [read more..]
Enticing Children To Read More Books Kids have the perfect mindset to get lost in the joy of a good book. Books for kids are ultimately the inspiration for healthy imaginative play, long term reading skills, and even the springboard for [read more..]
Mouth Watering Memphis Style Pork Ribs The Memphis Style pork rib is one of the most popular and mouth watering styles of rib preparation. One of the reasons for the popularity with the Memphis Style rib is its unique blend of barbeque tra [read more..]
Los 7 Mejores Musicales Aqu te presento una lista de las pelculas mas destacadas en la seccin de musicales para que disfrutes y entretengas. La novicia rebelde (The Sound of Music):La clsica historia de la familia Van Trapp [read more..]
I eageｒly await your blօg poѕts, and this particular
one exceedеd my exρectations. The clarity of your ԝriting and the thorouɡhness
of your analysis result in a captivating and enriching
read.
my web paցе – South Dakota gripped by pandemic