Writing for the Web 1 Spotless Interactive Writing for the Web Tim Fidgeon April 2012.
Writing for the Web
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Transcript of Writing for the Web
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Writing for the Web
It’s easier than you think.
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Different Approaches
Brevity and bullets rather than a story Write for a restless reader Actionable content, not narrativeWrite for linking Sentence fragments are desirable, not
verboten
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Brevity, bullets, no story
Write like you’re outlining ideasKey points, written shortBreak up text into bullets or short
paragraphs with subheadsSave narratives and stories for linked
pages or downloadable documents
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Write for a restless reader
Remember that web-surfers are searching for specific content.That’s why search engines are most
peoples’ home pagesUsers go to the Internet with a
purpose; short attention spans are the rule.
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Actionable ContentMake it easy for your users/readers
to find what they’re looking for:Links to deeper pages and infoBoldface subheads steer the eyeOrganize text by frequency of useBreak up blocks of content with
photos, graphics, charts
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It’s OK to fragment
Defy your English teacher:Write short, sharp, clearDon’t worry about verbs, but if you use
them make them activeUse only the words you need; avoid
superfluous flowerisms
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On the Web, you must start with your key words because users often scan down the left part of a list of items. They never see the last words in a link unless the first few words attract their attention.
Not “The long-term consequences of pot smoking,” but “Pot smoking damage over years.”
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How the eye moves
From Eyetrack IIIhttp://www.poynterextra.org/eyetrack2004/about.htm
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Write in soundbites
Rather than long blocks of text, written for the page with careful grammar and excellent punctuation, write as if you had 10 seconds to say what you want your webpage’s visitor to hear.
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Version A
When a freshman first sets foot on the UCSF campus, he or she will have several needs: to find their classes, to know where their professors’ offices are, and to learn where the cafeterias are housed.
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Version B
New Student’s Guide to housing, class locations, food
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Reference websites:
www.gooddocuments.com/techniques/overview.htmwww.useit.com/papers/webwriting/www.buzzwhack.com/www.december.com/web/develop/overview.htmlwww.ddj.com/authors.htmjerz.setonhill.edu/writing/
e-text/conventions.htm