Jennifer Davis is an experienced Content Editor who has been working in Online Marketing for over two years. A keen digital marketer with a passion for writing, she began blogging both personally and professionally over a year ago. After finding her calling in the fast-paced digital sector, Jennifer quickly became an active promoter of good web content and the tangible benefits it can bring. Check out her blog at Ensign Jen’s personal log.

Here she gives us some advice on writing for the web:

The basics

Before you start writing, it’s good to understand how users read on the web. Because in short – they don’t! Most web users won’t read every word they come across on a page. Instead, they scan the page for the information they need.

For this reason, you need to make your copy easy to scan. Here’s a few ways to do this:

•    Headings and sub-headings
•    Bullet points
•    Simple, informal writing

Headings

It might sound obvious, but the headings you use on your pages are extremely important. They should be short, simple and give the users an overview of what they can expect to find. It can be tempting to get over-wordy with headings, so try to think of them as bait. Hook your reader in, tempt them to click the link and then give them the full details later. Headings and sub-headings are not only vital for attracting and retaining readers, but are also important for helping search engines determine how useful and relevant your content is.

Sub-headings

Once you have your users on the page, make it easy for them to take in your content quickly. Break your text into sections, as large blocks of copy are off-putting to readers. This is where sub-headings come in. When your text moves onto a new subject, give it a new sub-heading. Again, make these short, concise and explanatory. This way, your readers can quickly decide if they’ve found what they’re looking for.

Bullet points

Bullet points allow users to scan your content quickly, much like headings and sub-headings. When you can, break bigger chunks of information into bulleted lists. Readers are attracted to bullet points, so use them wisely. Keep the  text short and snappy, containing as much information as possible.

EXAMPLE: If you run a cookware site, you might want to advertise the advantages of the new SuperWhisk3000.

Before:

The brand new SuperWhisk3000 is the newest model on the market from Whisks ‘r’ us, taking us forward into a new era of Whisk technology. Spinning at over 3000 RPM’s, the SuperWhisk3000 is by far the fastest whisk on the market. It comes in a range of beautiful neon colours, including red, blue, green and pink. With this whisk, you can mix cakes in half the time of a normal whisk guaranteed: and if you don’t like it, you get your money back!

After:

SuperWhisk3000 by Whisks ‘r’ us
•    Fastest whisk on market spinning at over 3000RPM
•    Comes in 4 neon colours – red, blue, green & pink
•    Make cakes in half the time guaranteed – or your money back

Simple, informal writing

When writing for the web, bear in mind that you should aim your copy at an average reading age of 12 years old. It might sound surprising, but don’t worry, you won’t be patronising your customers! Even the most highly educated, well-read web users don’t want to be bogged down with long words and complex sentences when reading online. Make your sentences short and simple. Break your text into short paragraphs. Avoid jargon where you can, and if you must use it, explain what it means.

Finally, make sure the most important, salient parts of your content are at the top of the page in a ‘pyramid’ type structure. Pack all the most important details into the first paragraph, with the less important information in the next, and so on. The least important information should be given at the bottom. Users will often exit your page long before they reach the end, so ‘leaving the best till last’ won’t work here!

You’re ready to go

This post covers some key aspects of writing for the web. But bear in mind that each section I’ve covered here could warrant a blog post of its own! It’d be great to hear from you in the comments section if you have any questions, or if you’d like me to cover any of these topics in more detail.

Thanks to Jennifer for some great tips on writing for the web. Keep an eye out on the Shopzilla Publisher Blog for future posts related to this and other subject areas surrounding content writing.

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