If you're new to writing for the internet, welcome to the fold! We'd like to share some web writing tips and tricks with you. Writing for the web can be a lot of fun, but once you buckle down to it , you realize pretty quickly that it is a bit different from other types of writing you may have done.
You only have a few seconds to capture the interest of your audience on the internet. Visitors to your website - or any website for that matter, spend very few seconds on each page before evaluating it and deciding whether to stay or move on. (See how long you linger on each internet page next time you're browsing) Learning how to write for the internet just takes a little practice.
Whether you're intending to learn how to write a blog, a newsletter, or you're writing an eBay description, there are some basic rules and web writing tips and tricks to keep in mind. These are helpful even developing academic writing skills for distance learning students and adults returning to college. If you want your readers to stick with you:
- Get to the point. Whatever your topic, your first sentence or two should be content rich and let the reader know immediately what you're going to be discussing...they won't take the time to search it out.
- Avoid jargon, acronyms, or common slang. When you're writing for the internet, your audience is broad and diverse. By avoiding these, you can include a population that might otherwise just tune you right out.
- Make it easy to read. Fonts matter! Choose something that is easy on the eye: Arial, Verdana, or Times New Roman all work well. Make sure it's large enough, and avoid funky fonts unless it's for emphasis on a particular item.
- Proofread, and proofread again! This cannot be emphasized enough...no one will ever take you seriously if your web writing is filled with spelling errors and typos. This is critical!
- If you're writing an eBay description: use short paragraphs and even bullets to open it up. Buyers don't want to read a novel, and if it's too much work, they'll move on.
- Less is more: Blog writers in particular should pay close attention to keeping ideas succinct and paragraphs short.
Learning the rules of clear online communication is vital today, but the old-fashioned rules of good grammar, punctuation and syntax still apply, as do good essay writing skills. Know who your audience is and don't try to insert too much into one piece of writing. There's a lot of information out there about successful writing for the internet...web writing tips and tricks can be a real help. Have fun!
