Writing for the internet guide

Visitors to websites generally want information, but they do not like to read it on screen. Our eyes are better equipped to read printed text than the lower resolution typeface of web pages.

Internet users do not like to have their time wasted by lengthy explanations. Generally, they won’t sit and read line after line of text to find the paragraph they want.

Using a few simple techniques will make your web text friendlier and easier to digest.

1. Plan what you want to say

Start by finding out who your audience is. If it helps, invent or get to know one member of that audience and write specifically to them. Having your target reader in mind will make your writing more personal and will help you to organise information to better suit their needs.

Next, plan the structure of your page or pages. Think about whether your target reader would find it logical. Would they know how to find the information they want straight away?

Tips:

Build each paragraph on one central idea.
If you are explaining something that is new to your reader, start with familiar information first.
Lead with your conclusion - your first paragraph should contain a general summary of your main point. Journalists call this the inverted pyramid, because the most important information goes at the top.

Inverted pyramid - showing main pojnts at the top, key facts in the middle and other details at the bottom

2. Shorten your text

You should not just take text from a printed document and publish it on the internet. These are two distinct media and should not be treated the same.

If you are working from a printed document, you need to reduce the number of words by half.

On-screen letters are more blurry, so people read slower from a screen than from paper. Cut your words to reduce the burden.

It's best to attack your document with several attempts. Cut all you can in one go, leave it for a while and then try again. You want to retain the meaning and edit the fluff. Get rid of:

unnecessary emphasis ('truly', 'really' etc);
repetition;
anything that doesn't add meaning to what you want to say.

3. Make text easy to scan

People do not read every word of a web page as dutifully as they do printed material. Instead, they scan down the page looking for the information they want. There are ways that you can help them.

Give each page a stand-alone title, so that if visitors come to your page from a search engine they will know what it is about.
Use the exact wording of that title in the menu. People like the reassurance of clicking a link and finding that it has brought them to the right page.
Break the page up with subheadings and layers of subheadings. Your visitors will use these like we use the signs above supermarket aisles.
Make important bits of text bold instead of italic or underlining. Bold text stands out more on screen.
Use bulleted or numbered lists where suitable.
If you are embedding links within your text, try to put the link at the end of the sentence. This makes the link stand out more. Make link text informative, so that people know where the link will take them. Don't say 'Click here'.
Punctuate fluidly - some punctuation breaks up the flow of reading. Try:
- using more dashes instead of commas;
- sticking to lower case wherever you can, including headings;
- not ending headings with full-stops.

4. Reduce thinking time

Web users hate having to stop and think. You should write so that your meaning is clear from the first reading.

Keep your sentence structure simple

Try not to insert clauses mid-sentence like in this example:

The legislation, which includes new measures, will be released this autumn.

This disrupts readers' concentration. Better to say:

The legislation includes new measures and will be released this autumn.

Use plain English

Plain English guidelines are perfect for web writing. Read the plain English guide.

Keep scrolling to a minimum

Off-screen text is effectively invisible, and web visitors will have difficulty remembering where information sits on the page. Some people are reluctant to scroll down at all. All the more reason to put the most important information at the top and avoid long pages. If you need to have a long page, make sure to include anchors so that all the information is easily accessible.

5. Keep people informed

Make sure that you tell people about a download, so they can decide if they want to wait for it or not. Include information on file type, name, size and estimated download time if more than a few seconds.

6. Make information time-appropriate

People expect the information they read on a website to be current. Unless you are sure you'll have the time to update your pages, avoid phrases like 'this year', 'last month', 'next conference', 'recently'. They will fall out of date and make no sense.

7. Write foolproof instructions

Never underestimate the confusion, panic and dismay that instructions can cause.

The problem is obvious: we know exactly how to do the thing we’re trying to explain.

think it’s perfectly simple. But we are not who the instructions are aimed at. Instructions on the internet can be baffling. Avoid confusion with these tips:

Before you start, take an imaginary step back. Pretend that the process you want to explain is new to you. Now pitch your instructions at a level of detail that someone fresh to the process would understand.
Plan the explanation out carefully. Break it down with numbered steps. Use sub-steps where you need to so that you have just one piece of information per step.
Get some feedback. Grab someone who doesn't know the process and ask them what they think of your instructions. Re-write them if necessary.
Put your instructions in a relevant part of the website - don't just bury them somewhere were no one will read them.

8. Strike a tone

These, and the plain English guidelines, will help you to create a friendly and informative tone in your web writing. If you still feel that your text is too cold, remember that it's okay to make moderate use of abbreviations like 'it's' and informal figurative language like 'in a nutshell'.