Business Writing Skills II - A Web Writing Primer
Whatever you would write on paper, cut it in half. The web was
designed for quick reading. Studies show that people do not read
long blocks of text while surfing the web; reading from the
screen is often slower than reading on paper. Therefore, be as
brief and to the point as you can be, or risk losing your
readers' attention.
Write for scanning. Since web surfers often skim web copy, avoid
using long blocks of text. Use lots of white space, bulleted and
numbered lists, and short paragraphs (1 or 2 sentence paragraphs
are not out of the question).
Can Web Copy Writers Learn From Direct Mail TechniquesWould you send a million letters costing tens of thousands
to print and mail, in a direct marketing campaign, without
testing the letter content first' It's what many website
owners do when they don't test and measure their .....
Also, begin with a short conclusion. This way, the reader will
know right away if your topic is one s/he is interested in.
Keep your copy simple. No need for elevated language on the web.
Once, I read that you should pretend you're writing a TV
commercial: Keep your copy short and succinct.
Write conversationally. Think of your readers as individual
people rather than as a faceless "audience." Reading your piece
The Internet ... A Writer's ParadiseI shake my head and wonder why more marketers aren't
writing. The internet has made it possible for anyone
to spill their thoughts onto the screen.
It .....
out loud easily tests this. Or, have a friend read it to you. If
it doesn't flow smoothly, it is time to rework your copy.
Use nested headings. In addition to using short paragraphs,
break up your copy into two or three levels of headlines and sub
35 Quick Tips For Writing A Press Release35 Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release
Layout
1. 1-2 pages in length.
2. Double-space.
3. 1.5 to 2 inch margins.
4. Use company stationary with logo and slogan.
5. Avoid bright or dark-colored .....
heads. This way, the reader can more easily scan to a topic she
is interested in.
Use emphasis and hypertext. If using long text where appropriate
(say, in an in- depth article or report), it helps to break up
your text into several pages connected by links.
The beauty of the web is that your interested readers will
Are We Losing The Desire To Write Well?British polling company ICM Research recently conducted a
survey that found that around two-thirds of the two thousand
18-24 year olds surveyed cared "NOT AT ALL" about punctuation,
spelling and .....
follow you to the detailed information if they want; otherwise,
they can scan the general information that is nicely laid out on
the first page of your article.
Remember to use bold and italics to emphasize important pieces
of information. Avoid underlining, though, so your readers don't
confuse underlined words with linked text.
Use the inverted pyramid. Journalists have long been aware of
the need to catch readers' attention immediately. Like newspaper
readers, web surfers are also pressed for time and want to get
the story right away.
The first paragraph should contain the most important
information and tell what the rest of the site/page/story is
about. ......
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