Writing for the web

It is important to understand that writing for the web demands a different approach than writing for a printed document. Web users actually spend very little time reading a web page, and much more time skimming pages until they find the piece of information that interests them. In keeping web text concise, and by offering headings and lists, users will be able to access desired information quickly and will find much more value in your site.

Also, text on a web page is often linked to other text, as an invitation to go elsewhere in the site, i.e. to skip through the site in a non-sequential fashion. You must be sure that the language you employ in naming links is clear and consistent throughout your site, and that the text is coherent regardless of how and from where user landed on your page.

Crafting your content so that it may be read and understood by the largest possible audience requires practice. A good copy editor is an invaluable resource, and an experienced copy editor's input is always recommended.

See Also:

Many aspects of writing for the web are covered within the Website Accessibility Section and two other important guidelines are:

  Semantic structure

  Navigation and Hyperlinks