Write to be read
Unless you’ve chosen to immerse yourself in a tasty piece of poetry or prose, you will not read every word.
You scan through a page looking for relevant information.
The job of the web writer is to make it easy for readers to find what they’re looking for.
Use short paragraphs
- Write one idea per paragraph (some web gurus will tell you to make each sentence its own paragraph - they have a point).
- Give the first line of each paragraph impact, it needs to “sell” the rest of the paragraph to the reader.
Vary sentence length
- Long, complex sentences are difficult to follow and tiring to read if there are too many of them. Use short sentences too. Vary the rhythm of what you write.
Use logical headings
- Think of headings as the map by which the user can work out the structure of what you write. Write as if the user will read the headings only and none of the body text.
- Beware of being too clever with the words you use as headings: be entertaining but informative. The user should know from your headings what to expect from the text.
Use bullet points
- Bullet points help break up the flow of text.
- List anything you can.
- Put your lists in order of priority.