Understanding how internet users read online text is half the battle of writing great web content.
The truth is, people don’t really web content word for word, the way you would a beautifully written novel for example.
They prefer to pick out key words and sentences to get an overall understanding of the content. This means that web copy needs to be scannable.
So, here are my 5 top tips for writing for the web!
1. Use Sub -headings
Sub-headings are a great way of breaking up the text into bite size chunks. They make it easy for readers to scan over the page, and digest the information without being swamped in text heavy web pages.
2. Highlight Keywords
Highlighting a keyword in bold or adding a hyperlink again makes the information easier to scan and digest. Readers are naturally drawn to the highlighted words and phrases, which should be integral to the understanding of the article.
3. One Idea per Paragraph
Keep paragraphs short, and as a rule, only include one key idea in each paragraph. Again, this will help readers to absorb the information easily and maintain the structure of your article. Generally, if readers are not captured by the first sentence, they will tend to skip the rest of the paragraph and move on to the next one.
4. Word Count
Opinions differ on the correct length of an online article or blog post. My personal preference is around 400 words, and never more than 600. This might not sound like a lot, but if you consider the attention span of readers and their preference for bite sized chunks of information, you can actually fit a fair few ideas into an article of this length. Which brings me my next point..
5. Use Bullet Points
Bulleted lists are easy to read, quick to scan, and can deliver a great deal of information in just a few lines. Perfect of web users!
If you have written a blog post or article, and need a hand editing or proofreading to make sure it’s perfect for the web, I can help. Whether you need content written from scratch, or you would like an expert to check through your grammar, punctuation and style, call Content Writer Extraordinaire on 0114 383 0711.
For our full range of Sheffield copy writing services, please visit Seven Creative’s website at sevencreative.co.uk, the leading marketing agency in Sheffield.