Writing for the Web: Basic Principles

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Writing for the Web Basic Principles

• A Slide Show by
• Crawford Kilian

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Web Consumers

• Lookers TV refugees
• Readers Print refugees
• Users Information grabbers
• Shoppers Online bargain hunters
• Listeners Audiophiles

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Web Content Producers

• Merchants
• Governments
• NGOs
• Schools
• Advocates
• Talkers Self-publishers, bloggers

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Communication Models

• Instrumental model
• Do what I say.
• Constructivist model
• Is this what you want?

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Web Readers

• Slower readers (-25)
• Skimmers and scanners
• Impatient
• Addicted to jolts

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Text on the Computer Screen

• Low resolution hard to read
• Author cant control page appearance
• Print text doesnt work except in archives

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Principles of Webwriting

• Orientation
• Information
• Action

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Orientation

• Where am I?
• Whats this site about?
• How do I get around it?

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Orientation Elements

• Minimalism
• Coherence
• Headlines, subheads, blurbs, links

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Information

• What do you have to tell me?
• Is it in a format I can use?

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Information Elements I

• Whos your audience?
• Whats your exformation?
• Organization narrative, logical, categorical?
• Clarity
• Correctness

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Information Elements II

• Hooks
• Direct address
• Quotation
• Question
• Unusual statement
• Promise of conflict
• News peg

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Information Elements III

• Links are self-explanatory
• Visit CBC Radio Overnight
• Blurbs give more reasons to go there
• Great programs for Canadian insomniacs

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Information Elements IV

• Chunks
• 80-100 words
• Break into short paragraphs
• Use subheads if helpful
• Scrolling Text
• Include internal links to speed navigation
• Bulleted lists

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Action

• You attitude
• Positive attitude
• Response cues
• Solve a problem
• Easy response
• Quick response

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Editing Webtext I

• Active voice
• Concrete Anglo-Saxon words
• Strong verbs
• Simple sentences (under 20 words)
• Short paragraphs (under 5 sentences)
• Frequent headings and subheads

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Editing Webtext II

• Dont respect the text!
• The 50 rule
• Print out to proofread

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Edit for Global Readers

• Short sentences, real subject first
• Positive language
• Avoid slang, idioms
• Avoid phrasal verbs (write up, write down)
• Avoid miniword clusters (as a kind of a way to
  make the reader confused)

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The Subtext of Webtext

• Register public or intimate?
• Nonverbal message
• Can undercut verbal message
• Always more trusted than verbal message
• Built into site structure and graphics as well as
  text