Most writers are aware that when writing for the web they must get their point across in the quickest, most succinct manner if they want to keep their reader on the page. Most web readers scan the content quickly to determine whether they want to keep reading or will click onto another site which has more what they are looking for. In fact, you generally have less than ten seconds in which to grab your reader’s attention and hold onto it for dear life. Your paragraphs must be short and snappy with engaging headlines.
More importantly you must get your primary point across quickly, in the first paragraph. Even if you believe your topic is worthy of a several-hundred page book, you still must figure out how to keep it short and sweet. While adding personality to your article or blog is fine, remember that the main focus is and must remain, the message you want to send to your readers. If you fail to get that message across quickly, it won’t matter how much personality your article has because it will never be read.
What is Your Goal?
The goal of most website articles is to encourage your reader to take some sort of action. You want them to purchase a product, try out your service, or navigate to another one of your webpages. The impatient reader will click the “back” button in the blink of an eye if they don’t see what they are looking for. If you primarily want your reader to try your specific service then you want to tell them immediately what that service is and what it can do for them. If it’s a product your selling, do the same thing—tell your reader immediately what your product is, how it is different from its competitors and how they can get it.
Keeping it Short
Effective web writing is short—at least 50% shorter than its print counterpart. Short words, short sentences short paragraphs—all these together equal short pages. Short words means you avoid using long words your readers may not be familiar with when a short word will get your message across just as clearly. Keep your primary content front loaded—in other words ensure the most important content resides in the upper-left part of the computer screen and that the second-most-important information is at the top of the page. Prominent headings, boldface and other visual cues help your reader to know what you believe to be the most important part of your page.
Don’t Lead up to the Point of Your Story
Although print media spends time leading up to the climax of the story, you don’t have that luxury in web content and must get it out there quickly. Supporting information takes secondary position on your page and it goes downward from there until you reach your summarizing paragraph. On the off chance that your reader actually scanned your entire page and still failed to grasp the main idea, use your last paragraph to quickly summarize the high points. A short bulleted list can have the same effect, wrapping up the primary ideas of your article in a short sound bite.
Remember These Tips:
- Keep it simple
- Keep it short
- Use common words
- One idea per paragraph
- Strive for a lower reading comprehension level that you expect from your readers
- Delete fluff
- Work toward direct, objective text rather than promotional copy
Don’t forget these tips and once you’ve written an article return to it later and ruthlessly edit your words. Look at your work objectively and always be able to answer the question of what your reader will gain by reading your words.
Tags: Lawyer Website Content
