Writing for the Webwww.bigducknyc.com

Farra TrompeterDan Gunderman

Nonprofit 911 TeleconferenceJune 16, 209

Overview

• What’s different• Principles of Web text• Guidelines• Resources• Appendix

What’s different?

• Short attention spans• Reading• Word count• Visual presentation

What readers want

• Immediate information• Your POV• Up-to-date, relevant content• Feedback and interaction• Privacy

Principles ofWeb Text

Principles of Web Text

• Orientation– Background info, navigation

• Information– Help readers understand

• Action– What readers can/should do

Principles of Web Text:Orientation

• Job of the homepage• Minimalist• Coherent and consistent

Principles of Web Text:Orientation

• Print habits inform layout– Key points at top– Read LEFT to RIGHT– Eye goes first to upper right

• Headlines help guide reader– Put keywords in title and text– Use hooks and blurbs

Slide 13

Principles of Web Text:Information

• Be clear and correct• Audience-centric• Something for everyone• Organize

Principles of Web Text:Information

• Analyze Audience– Develop User Scenarios– Web makes your org avail 24/7 to all

• Add Order– Narrative: Describe in stages– Logical: Use sources as back-up at end– Categorical: Cluster material and connect related

topics

Three types of visitors:

Readers Users Viewers

•• Name:Name: Brenda Brenda

•• Occupation:Occupation: College Student College Student

•• Age:Age: 20 20

•• Gender:Gender: Female Female

•• Education:Education: Junior education major at big university Junior education major at big university

•• Location:Location: Los Angeles, CA USA Los Angeles, CA USA

•• Computing and Web experience: Computing and Web experience: very comfortable very comfortable

•• Personal Web behavior patterns:Personal Web behavior patterns: Total Facebook user, avid social networker, verycomputer-savvy, she has a personal blog, online shopping, has an iPhone

• Goals: Academic credit, looking for practical experience, interested in traveling,perhaps semester abroad but not sure if she can do (she doesn't speak a secondlanguage); wants to go in the summer

• Activities: Googled “international volunteer programs,” reads-up on Intern Abroadprogram, spends a lot of time browsing through all the possibilities of where she can go,visits the “Teaching English” page, “Assisting Teachers” page, wants to know aboutProgram Fee, is not sure about what the difference is between Intern Abroad andVolunteer Abroad, thinking about fundraising and applying for scholarships becauseshe's surprised about the costs, spends 3.5 minutes on the site browsing, but will returnin the future.

Principles of Web Text:Action

• Positive attitude• Discuss -- and listen• Two way conversation• Make action effortless

Principles of Web Text:Action

• Give readers reasons to act– What do they get for filling out a form?– Why should they join your email list?– Why take that quiz or survey?– How will you use their donation?

Guidelines

Guidelines: Style

• Do not use clever or cute headings• Limit the use of metaphors• Use simple sentence structures• Avoid complex words• Develop a Style Guide

Guidelines: Tone

• Professional• Conversational• Use humor with caution• Connect to other ‘brand’ expressions / org

personality

Personality

Parent Project Muscular DystrophyPersonality

• Leading• Passionate• Expert• Comprehensive

• Successful• Highly-regarded• United• Influential

Guidelines: Readability

• Summaries• Short and simple• Chunking• Headings• Active voice• Strong verbs• Grammar

Guidelines: Print Documents

• Web is archive. Provide options for readers.• Scrolling tires eyes

– Provide links, clickable keywords at top– Search within PDF helps

• Format– Single space with line break between paragraph

Resources• Big Duck-http://www.bigducknyc.com/resources

– Podcast- Writing for the Web - Less is More– Article- Write Visually.

• Online Guides– http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/– http://www.sun.com/980713/webwriting/– http://www.webstyleguide.com/

• Books– Writing for the Web, by Crawford Kilian– Content Critical, by Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton– The Web Content Style Guide, by Gerry McGovern, Rob Norton,

Catherine O'Dowd

© Jeremy Crow

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