Writing for the Web can be difficult in many ways. Readers want their information quickly, and they want it, by and large, in bite-sized morsels rather than long, buffet type spreads. This can make the art of being clear even more difficult than it might be in other mediums.
If you write for the Web and have struggled with clarity, here are five tips to keep you on the right track, and make sure you don’t lose your audience in between the lines.
1. Keep It Simple. This one is often easier to say than to do. But it is probably the most important aspect of writing clearly for the Web. If you’re a writer, chances are you love the English language. You probably read three or four novels a month (at least) and love to spin beautiful, melodious phrases that make the mundane special. That makes the ordinary sound magnificent. You love to use words that will send the average reader scratching their head, looking for context clues, or running for the dictionary. If this describes you, it’s time to bring it back down to earth.
2. Keep It Moving. As was pointed out, readers on the Web are constantly looking for the next page. They want to keep moving, so your writing must do the same or you’ll lose them. If you have something to say, say it directly. Don’t take the long way around, through the roses and around the koi pond in the back. Just go straight there and back.
3. Use All The Tools At Your Disposal. This means pictures, video, clip art, links, and so on. If you have a picture you need your audience to imagine, by all means-show them the picture! If you have a website you want them to visit, give them a link. This is what the internet is about. It’s a multimedia experience and should be used as such.
4. Repetition Is Your Friend. Of course, no one wants to read the same thing over and over again. Of course no one wants to read the same thing over and over again. See? But still, it doesn’t hurt to repeat the key concepts in your writing a few times to make sure they hit the mark. This is frowned upon in so-called "higher writing" as using a sledgehammer when you should be using an artist’s brush, but the Web calls for cruder tools. Don’t be afraid to use them.
5. Say It Another Way. When you write a piece, read it over. Let’s say you used an example or two along the way to illustrate your point. Think about what percentage of your audience is likely to understand your point by way of your example. If it’s not close to 100%PRCTG%, think about using a second example. It can’t hurt, and you can be more confident in the percentage of your audience you’ll reach.
Writing for the Web isn’t always easy, but reading what you’ve written should be. Put these five tips to use in your writing, and you can be sure no reader will ever slip away from your website scratching their heads and looking for the dictionary.