Web Content: Writing for Websites

Writing for websites is about brevity with impact. The Internet has trained us for instant-gratification. We want to know what we want to know and we want to know it now.

What’s important to remember is that your content on your site will rarely, if ever be “read.” It is much more likely to be scanned.

Writing to appease the “scanner” is the best way to write for websites.

-      Utilize headings, subheadings, bulleted lists, bold text, and italics to help organize information.

-      Only focus on one point per paragraph. Separate each paragraph by a space.

-      Make keywords stand out. The best way to accomplish this is with inbound linking (make your keywords links to other, relevant, areas of your website).

-      Don’t write too much. Write half of what you’d write for print.

-      Establish credibility. These days, it takes a well designed website, with high quality graphics, and outbound links (as proof of research) to convince visitors of credibility.

-      Avoid exaggeration. Users want facts, not bold promises.

As Crawford Killian writes, in “Writing for Websites,” there are three principles that are important for writing effective content: Orientation, Information, Action.

1. Orientation. Visitors to your site may not always land on the first page, especially if your SEO campaign is performing as it should. Therefore, every page within your site should have an easy framework from which visitors can navigate. Your website name and purpose should be visible on every page.

2. Information. Between focusing on keywords and keeping content brief, your site still needs to hook new visitors and keep them reading. You need to keep things interesting. Here are some things Killian suggests:

-      Ask questions. Visitors will want answers.

-      Use unusual statements. “We love surprises.”

-      Promise conflict. “We love fights.”

-      Use News. Tie in familiar anecdotes.

3. Action. The longer a visitor stays on your site, the greater the chance the visitor will become a consumer. Your site should incite action. If you want people to “click through,” give them incentive to. Direct people to engage in your site and not only will they be more apt to “buy,” there is a greater chance they’ll develop a relationship with your brand.

Remember, you are not writing a novel, but you are trying to sell yourself. Put only the most relevant, necessary, and interesting information on your site. Let the design do the rest.