Writing for the Web

The basics of good writing hold true in any context. On the Web, you still have to know your audience, organize your thoughts and strive for clarity in expressing them. There are, however, pitfalls to avoid and opportunities to seize that are specific to the Web.

Print vs Web
What’s Different About the Web? Reading on the Web is a different experience from reading a printed page. It’s slower and less comfortable. On the Web, people become impatient more easily, and they are accustomed to having alternatives. If a page is hard to follow, people will find it easier to search for a new page than to continue reading. Because of these circumstances, readers typically scan a page for relevance before committing to reading the details.

Effective writing takes these issues into account. By paying attention to a few simple guidelines, you'll be able to create pages that succeed at communicating with your readers.

Writing Tips
Be succinct. If there’s a shorter, simpler way to say something, do it that way.

• Use short sentences. Break long sentences into smaller ones.
• Keep paragraphs short.
• Keep the total word count down, especially on top-level pages. Some experts recommend 50% fewer words on the Web than in printed materials.

Facilitate Scanning
Guide the reader’s eye to key information:

• Use bullets instead of comma-separated lists.
• Use boldface subheadings.
• Choose straightforward, unambiguous language (resist the urge to be clever).
• Put important content “above the fold” (visible on the first screen without scrolling).

Avoid Web clichés
For example:

• “Welcome to the Communications Office Web Site!”
• “Click here to find out more.”
• “On this Web page you will find...”
• “This page is under construction.”

Linking Tips

• Use phrases for hyperlinks rather than single words. “Applying to Mount Holyoke is easy” vs. “Applying to Mount Holyoke is easy.”
• Avoid over linking. Just because a site exists doesn't mean you have to link to it. Superfluous links may distract your reader from what you are trying to communicate.

Organizing Tips

• Manage the level of detail. The top level of a site should be the most general, with deeper pages containing the details. Avoid the common trap of putting everything on the top page because everything is important. Instead, provide a logical and obvious path to the content.
• Use anchors. When long pages are necessary, anchors (in-page links) help the reader find what they need.
• Provide context for people arriving at your page from elsewhere. Anyone in the world can arrive at any page in your site from a search engine, without any idea what it is. A small amount of context, even just the College and Department names, is essential.
• Plan your filenames. Plain-English filenames with a consistent pattern are the most user-friendly. Also, remember that renaming files can cause broken links. More information about file names is provided in this style guide.

Web Etiquette Tips
The tenets of common courtesy extend to the Web, but because it’s a different environment it’s not always obvious how they apply.

Make it easy for your guests to find what they need. It sounds simple, but it is often overlooked. Examples:

• Make sure site navigation links are present and visible.
• Use clear language on navigation labels, rather than clever wordplay or mysterious acronyms.
• Provide “alt” text for navigational graphics.

Don’t make people wait.

• Make sure image files are optimized for the Web.
• When a large file is necessary, tell the visitor how large it is so they can decide whether to download it.
• Avoid unnecessary use of plug-ins (Flash Player, Adobe Reader, etc.). For example, if a PDF file contains content that can be easily presented in HTML, use HTML.

Additional Resources

• Usability guru Jakob Nielsen’s Writing for the Web.
• Excerpts from The Web Content Style Guide by Gerry McGovern.