Writing for the web is different!

  • we read 25% slower from a screen than from paper
  • 79% of us scan to pick out significant information rather than reading every word
  • we cope comfortably with just half the amount of material that we can manage in print
  • we pick up content from the front of information chunks before skipping on to the next
  • we are notoriously reluctant to scroll!

But don’t despair! It is still possible to get your message across on-line! It just needs to be presented in a consise and highly structured way. Headings, bullet points and short paragraphs all help users pick out content quickly, and an ‘inverted pyramid’ writing style can help flag your key points.

Search Engine Optimisation, (SEO), is another consideration when preparing on-line copy. For your site to rank well your most relevant keywords and phrases should feature throughout the content. There is a balance to be struck, however, as overdoing it can not only alienate your audience by interfering with tone of voice and readability, but can attract penalties from search engine algorithms, doing more SEO harm than good!