Writing for the Web

Online Readers Are Different

Research shows that our brains are conditioned to skip around when reading online and that we actually use different parts of our brains when reading online than we do reading books, print or other materials offline.

Online readers have a short attention span and diminished comprehension.

"Your writing - offline or online - is effective when readers take away your message. Writing effectively online doesn't mean that every reader reads every single word that you write. It means they can quickly and efficiently get the information that is most important to them and move on." - Dave Copeland, "Best Practices For Writing for Online Readers"

5 quick tips for writing user-friendly content

1. Keep content as concise as possible.

Web users scan rather than read digital content thoroughly. We skim until we find the information we want; searching for keywords and reading in a non-linear fashion. Writing online is visual -- Utilize white space and keep paragraphs short.

2. Use Headings to break up long content.

Usability studies show that online readers view pages in blocks of content and tend to scan the page in an "F" formation. (in OU, heading 4 underlined is a good choice).

3. Make content scannable.

Make the first couple words count! Put the most important/ newsworthy information in the first sentence or heading of a section.

4. Use bulleted lists to break up heavy content.

Online readers fixate longer on bulleted lists. (In OmniCMS, the accordion snippet is another tool to use). Online readers like white space!

5. Write in an active voice.

Online readers want us to get to the point. The active voice is naturally more urgent and succinct. A good rule is to always begin with the subject, follow with a strong, active verb and follow with the direct object. "Avoid adverbs: they're a telling sign that you chose the wrong verb."

Poster PDF from HighEdWeb

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