Writing for the Web

Written June 25. 1999, at 04:00 GMT.

Steve Outing writes a great article on How to Write for the Web. Anyone doing any amount of online writing should be forced to read this.

Writing text for websites requires in many ways a fundamentally different approach, from writing printed material - regardless if the print material is news, ad-copy, or longer articles.

This difference is caused by a number of factors: The unique technical nature of the web (links, user confusion, etc.), the primitive reading medium (small windows, coarse pixels, etc), and an emerging (cultural?) change among readers (info overflow, short attention span, etc.).

Some quality writing guidelines

• Useit.com: Be Succinct! (Writing for the Web) - basic writing tips.
• Useit.com: Microcontent: How to Write Headlines, Page Titles, and Subject Lines.
• Useit.com: How to write inverted pyramids - tips on how to structure text and essays.
• Useit.com: How people read on the Web.
• Editing Online Documents: Strategies and Tips - Title says all.
• GoodDocuments.com - writing and struture of digital (business) documents.

Update, June 11th 2000: "Strageties and Tips" link added, plus brief introductory statement on why web writing is different.

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