writing.markfullmer.com

So how do I write effectively for the web?

10. Cut word count by 50%, but keep 100% of the ideas.
Readers have less patience for reading content online. Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen thinks this is because:

• our eyes get tired reading computer screens (we read about 25% slower, & retain less information).
• the web is fundamentally interactive. We can scroll and click and search, and we want to. This means users won't likely read your page top-to-bottom.
• the web is huge. People don't want to waste any time on a page that isn't exactly what they're looking for.
• our lives are much busier today than before. We're multitaskers. We don't stay on websites because we enjoy the experience. We get our information and move on.

How to cut half your words? Good web writing is often end-result driven. That is, instead of talking the reader through ideas before getting to your point, start with your point (inverted pyramid structure). Use a “how to” approach. Cut out needless examples or explanation (web readers interactively make explanations for themselves). Use bulleted lists, which are more efficient than full sentences. Trim introductory and conclusory material. Use active voice. Avoid cliches. Reduce your prepositions.

9. Ensure the reader knows the page's purpose within 4 seconds.
You can do this with a meaningful title and subheadings. No need to say “Welcome to our site” -- that's what web experts call “blah blah” text. As for subheadings, note how web writing expert Nick Usborne's article boldfaces sentences so that any point in your scrolling your eye has a “main idea” sentence to latch onto.

And avoid cute or clever or enticement headings. Write search keyword-driven headings:

8. Use objective language.
Especially online, users have developed a fear of “selling” language . Web writer Nick Usborne, however, argues the most important words on a company site are selling words (Free, Sign up, Buy, Now, and Thank you). But for information-driven sites, anything that makes your writing seem like it's too opinionated or trying to persuade people will turn people off.

I think this psychological phenomenon is caused by the "clickability principle," the fact that the web is interactive. Online, people are looking for information. They search. They aren't passive television zombies. So they don't want a website that's tells them how to think or what to buy.

Outbound links reinforce objectivity, too. They tell users a site is information-driven, not manipulation-driven.

7. Use S, M, and XL sentence lengths.
When you read a great web writer like Nick Usborne, you'll quickly notice that he uses many short sentences. And he advocates them. But a closer examination shows that he uses sentence variety. Ron Scheer's analysis shows an average sentence length of 11.5 words for Nick Usborne, and sentences that vary from 1 word to 37.

Flashy graphics and dancing icons are not the way to keep people awake on your site. In fact, eyetracking studies show that people pass over images. Instead, varied prose is the best way to avoid monotony.

6. Start fast. No slow windups.
Sentences shouldn't start with delaying phrases like “With respect to,” “The fact that,” or “In consideration of...” It's a good idea to start with either the main verb or main noun of your sentence (but don't do this so much that your sentences sound weird).

This is because reader's eyes don't move in a linear fashion on a webpage. Users generally skip over the introductory material on a page and go right for what looks like the content.

But this doesn't mean avoiding introductory material completely. It's a good idea to identify what the page is about first. After all, on a search page, users often only see the first few words on your page, so it's crucial to get these right. Jakob Nielsen, for example, includes a 1-2 sentence summary to start his pages, but no other introductory material. This is also known as “inverted pyramid” style.

5. Use passive voice only if it allows you to “front-load” your sentence.

Jakob Nielsen illustrates how an active voice sentence can sometimes bury the most important phrase:

4. Write numbers with digits (13 instead of “thirteen”).

It's like built in emphasis – readers' eyes gravitate to digits.

3. Link sentences to simulate a reader's thought process.
Here's an excerpt from Ron Scheer:

Sentence 1 clearly introduces the topic ("jargon"), and the phrases that follow say the same thing in different ways. No surprises for the reader. Sentence 2's "on the other hand" tells us we're changing directions, weighing pros and cons.

Sentence 3 sums up and links to the previous sentences with "this emotional dimension," and adds a new main concept ("serves social purposes"). The next sentences illustrate and explain what those purposes are.

They do this by overlapping ideas: (share a vision --> admittance to a group --> someone who wants to belong).

And throughout, Scheer's use of reflexive pronouns (this, these, it) help tie together his ideas.

2. Use vocabulary people are used to seeing on the web, and generally, don't use a fancy word when a simple one will do.

1. Avoid overly stylized prose.
Just like how we're used to seeing navigation bars on the left of the screen or about, contact, and home links at the top of a page, readers expect a certain syntax on the web. This doesn't mean you should take out all personality and sound like a wikipedia entry (actually, the right personality is very important online), but subordinate your voice, your tendency to use lots of commas or poetic phrasing, to the needs of your web reader. The previous sentence could be made web friendly: