When you're browsing the Web for information, you're coming across variously structured pages. Some contain the exact information that you need, while others are full of details that prove to be inconclusive. The rule of thumb when writing for the Web is to keep the information well structured, and to respect some basic, very simple directions. Failure to do so will result in web users never attempting to access your web page again.
Theoretical Basis In 1997, John Morkes and Jakob Nielsen have conducted a study to determine the way users read various texts on the Web. Their conclusion was that people tend not to read the text thoroughly, but they scan it instead. They browse through it, looking for the relevant information at the surface. Web users are people that want to find information as quickly as possible. They seem to prefer short, right-to-the-point pages, and factual information to the overcharged, insipid and sometimes incomprehensible (due to the hyped language) "marketing fluff" that characterizes most of the writings that populate the Web nowadays. The quality, credibility and relevance of the information are of utmost importance. Failure to satisfy any of these needs will determine users to never access a web page that has not provided concise, scannable and objective information. In support of the above, the following paragraphs will attempt to cover some of the most important details that you should consider when writing for the web. Text Format
Sections Since scanning is the universally accepted norm for web texts, do try to make your text short, or, if not possible, split it into sections/chunks with relevant headings and subheadings. Web users are usually in a hurry. They need bite-size information, and fast. Help them and you will also do yourself a favor.
Headings and Subheadings The first heading on the page is the most important. It tells the reader why the text is worth reading. The next headings that you use must have more of an objective value than a stylistic one. They should sum up the content of the corresponding paragraph or sub-paragraph.
Bulleted and Numbered Lists The purpose of the bulleted lists should be to make information more obvious. It also contributes to reducing the amount of text on the web page and improves scannability. Information that is obvious is easier to remember. For example (See our Usability Evaluation Services): The usability concept A usable sales website is one where:
Your visitors can easily find what they are looking for;
Your answers to frequently asked questions are helpful and easy to locate;
Your ordering system is easy to use and intuitive;
Your visitors feel comfortable trusting you, the company that operates the website.
Tables A table that contains relevant results of a study, for example, can be useful. It draws the reader's attention and also adds to the scannability of the text. Tables of contents are also useful, since they give users the opportunity to see right from the beginning if the information that they are looking for could be found in the text.
Captions When you write for Web users, include pictures, tables, flowcharts, or diagrams in the page structure to support the text. Make sure that you also insert captions that identify the illustrations or table. Remember though that illustrations need captions only when the context is not clear enough.
Links Use links to support the text's credibility. According to the nature of the text on your web page, you could provide links to glossaries that explain certain terms and concepts that you use in your text or to resources that you have used. Nevertheless, refrain from using too many links. Users may think that what they read does not have a significant personal touch, and this will affect the credibility of your text. Avoid using terms such as "Click here" or "follow this link". If your text is long, or split on several pages, add navigation links to other sections in your text, as this also improves scanning. Always make sure that you have no broken links (either internal or external) and that it is clear enough where the internal links will take the Web user.
Highlighting If you want to bring something to your reader's attention and add to the scannability of the text, highlighting is a good policy. Highlight only key information-carrying words. Do not highlight entire sentences or long phrases because a reader that scans your page is only able to pick 2-3 words at a time, and larger chunks of highlighted words may become tiresome. Highlight words by using:
boldface characters
italics
colors
upper case letters
Text Content
Clarity Writing for the web means that you have to be a good organizer. The information that you will place on your page for the whole world to see must be carefully organized. Use words that make sense to the audience. Use simple, meaningful language.
Check your spelling (use a spell checker). You wouldn't want your readers to encounter something like "Our software provides state-of-the-art soultions that "?.
Use correct grammar. Make sure that you know the difference between "it's" (contracted form of "it is" or "it has") and "its" (possessive pronoun, 3rd person singular), between "you're" (contracted form of "you are") and "your" (possessive pronoun, 2n person singular and plural), or between "they're" (contracted form of "they are"), "there" (adverb of place, antonym of "here"), and "their" (possessive pronoun, 3rd person plural). These examples may sound a bit "too much", but you'd be surprised how often they occur.
Avoid word play (puns), euphemisms and metaphors: you could be taken literally. Also, think of your non-native speaker audience. If you have to have abbreviations in your text, use only the standard ones. If you use your own abbreviations, explain them (between brackets), at least once in the beginning.
Quantity Since web users are usually people in a hurry, they need information that can be seized easily. Limit each paragraph to only one idea (topic sentences). Be concise: web readers prefer short texts, from which they can extract the information with minimal effort. Studies show that web reading is slower than regular reading by 25%. The information that you offer must be condensed enough to fit in one screen. Users don't enjoy scrolling too much. They want to get the information fast, so web texts must have half the word count used when writing for print.
Relevance Do not overcharge your page with information. Provide only what is necessary. The text that you write for the web page must be relevant for the target audience, organized in an intuitive manner. The short bits of text that constitute your paragraphs must be self-explanatory, so that your readers will understand your point on the spot and will not require much mental effort to do that, or additional information to support them.
Style
Verbs Use active verbs (provide, assess, implement, focus, validate, etc.) rather than passive ones (is being done, are solved, were built). Active verbs give a sense of vivacity to the text, which becomes more energetic and powerful.
Pronouns Use "you" rather than "I", "we". Like this you will show readers that they are the target, and your text will have a greater impact on them.
Language Use easily understandable language, with familiar, everyday words, short and simple sentences. Avoid jargon by all means: jargon is usually technical or abbreviated and difficult to understand for people not in the profession. Establish a balance between promotional (marketing) style and the useful information that you include in your text. For example, when writing a presentation web page for a product, it is understandable that it is meant to help sell the product. Nevertheless, avoid marketing exaggerations and overstatements. Too much enthusiasm can be a turn-off. Refrain from using (too much) humor. All Web users have different perceptions on humorous instances.
Keywords Identify the keywords in your text. Highlight them to add to the scannability of the text and to add to the probability of your web page being found much easier when searching the Web.
Graphics Graphical elements must complement text. Insert only images that have relevance to the text, and avoid full-page graphics, as they can take quite a while to load and this gets users annoyed.
It to ask a student what is the main source of information, he or she will answer - Internet. This powerful tool seems a treasury of fresh news, a bundle of great facts and the source of various views and opinions. But a quick glance at a pair of source can hardly be called a research. Looking over the top ten sites your search engine showed to you is not a research either. Some of students do exactly the way that is described above and their average is not as high as you want it to be. To use internet with pleasure and profit you have to differentiate between the two terms: an open search and a closed search. Using an open research you get an access to materials that are publicly- available. You can do an open search in free search engines and use numerous subject directories. A serious research will not be completed using only an open search. What it is meant to do is to help the researcher to generate ideas, to find the most common views, interesting facts and statements. You can use an open search to figure out the time difference between your state and another country, to see if the species the habits of which you investigate are not yet extinct. Closed searches deal with modified collections that are adopted to the user. As a rule this service is chargeable but if you are a university student or work at the company that requires a closed research, you can access it for free. If you are doing a formal research that requires legitimate facts and evidence, use a closed search. Both searches are good to use and provide you with useful information but the results they aim at are quite different. You will never see that abundance of sources doing a closed search, as you get doing an open one. Open searches often show information that is not proved by direct facts.
Students usually mix the two searches and the results are not as nice as expected. The mixture results in a chaotic statement of facts and opinions that are irrelevant and incoherent. If you use a reference from the internet be sure to mention every detail that will help the reader to get to the source directly. Be careful with what you are quoting and try to use materials that are legitimate. While doing a research be sure to note down any detail. By the time you master both searches you'll be an expert in what to include in your paper and what to leave out of it.
Both Adriana Iordan & Jacob Parker are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.