Tips on writing for web sites
writing for websites Writing Tips
It may sound obvious, but before putting together a web site, it’s important to answer some basic questions which will help organise your web site. What is the site’s main purpose? To sell products? Provide information to members? Encourage volunteers? Recruit people? Is there a secondary purpose, for instance a corporate site like a bank may sell products but also provide information for investors, financial analysts, brokers and other groups. What kind of content is important for each purpose? And finally, who are the target publics the site is trying to attract? What are their interests? What do you know about them – their age, how much they earn?
With this information at hand, you can start organising the site. The best way forward is to prepare a web site map which shows the site’s structure and contents. The home page is the most important page on the site and creating a good impression is crucial. A clear structure will allow visitors to navigate around the site quickly and easily.
The internet has enabled people to access information quickly so visitors to your site want information “now“. Visitors scan rather than read and skip from place to place: they don’t read in a linear fashion like they do with a newspaper or magazine. And reading on the screen is slower than reading the same information in printed form. Give visitors minimal directions so that they can locate the information they want with the least effort.
Write clean, clear and concise copy with the audience in mind and provide content with a purpose – whether it’s information, education or entertainment. Deliver copy in small chunks and remember that less is more.
Also remember that good grammar, proper punctuation and correct spelling apply as much to web sites as they do to all other media. Minimise the use of adjectives and adverbs and make sure you spell-check your document. Spelling mistakes on websites are too numerous and simple errors make visitors wonder about the reliability of information in the whole site.
If you need help with a web site, whether you’re starting from scratch or just need a fresh pair of eyes to look at existing content, send me an email ruth@purplechameleon.com.au.