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Writing for the web

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For more detailedinformation and tips on content creation for your site,check out ourContent toolkitor register for theWriting for the web at ֱ course.

User-centric language

Always consideryour targetaudiencewhen writing for the web.Is your sitemainlyvisited byprospective studentswhoareinterested in applying toֱ?Or is your audience made up of businessand governmentpartners? Knowing yourtarget audienceshould set the tone for your writing so that you cantailorcontentstrategicallyto those usersand maintain their interest.

Here are some tipsfor writing user-focusedweb content:

  • Usethe wordstheyuse:familiar terminology will deliver your message more quicklyandalsohelp optimizeyour copyfor search engines;
  • Address users directly:the pronoun“you”is engaging forusersand makes formore approachable content.

Inverted pyramid

Thisjournalisticstandardhelps you getstraightto the point. Startwith the most essential ‘headliner’ informationfirst(who, what, when, where, why),and follow withadditionaldetailsafterwards.

Inverted pyramid diagram that is split into four sections with text overlaid.
(McKay, 2013)

User research supports this approach for web content.According to one study, 81% of online users read the first paragraph, while only 32% read the fourth paragraph.Make sure you get your key messages across by front-loading them at the top of your content.

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Insteadof readingwebpagesword-by-word,usersactuallyscanthemin a "Z" pattern, going from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner (if they have enough time to get there).The followingstrategies will helpformat your writing into scannable, user-friendly content:

  • Highlighted keywords
  • Bulleted listsand numberedsteps!(much easier on theeyes,and everyone loves a good list)
  • Short sentences and paragraphs (no more than 20 words per sentence, 1 idea per paragraph)
  • Concise and descriptive titles and headings

(Nielsen, 2000; Nielsen & Loranger, 2006; Nielsen &Pernice, 2009) 


References

  by Jakob Nielsen and KaraPernice

by Jakob Nielsen

  by Jakob Nielsen andHoaLoranger

  by Everett N McKay

Resources from ֱ’sWeb Services team

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