Write your content
write for the web
Web usability guru Jakob Neilsen says that 79 percent of people scan webpages instead of reading them. Younger audiences—more than any other age group—want fewer words and more scannable pages. Do your pages pass the scanning test?
Write for scanners
Novel readers want to be swept away by grand settings and intricate plots, but most web users want fast information and quick online transactions. And because people read about 25 percent slower on screen, many usability experts say web content should be half as long as its print counterpart. Try to keep your text under 150 words and organize it so users won’t have to go more than three clicks to find what they want.
Think in chunks
Divide the text into short chunks with clear headings. Use bullets, lists, and numbered steps. Numbered steps help users know if they have completed all the necessary tasks.
Get to the point
Bring the important material to the top. Don’t make users slog through an entire page to get the essential info. If your users read only the first sentence, what should it be? If they read only the first paragraph, will they find the info that is most useful? Can your audience get the basic idea of the page by reading your headings?
Use “you”
Pay attention to tone. In strict academic writing, one always refers to one’s peers in the third person. In writing for the web, use “you.” It’s natural, conversational, and more personal.
See the writing style used on www.howstuffworks.com to see how “you” makes complex language more accessible.
Use action verbs
Help your audience members identify the transactions they can do on your website. Examples: Set up an appointment with a counselor, contact our office, assemble your class schedule, learn about our services.
Choose simple words
Using simple words helps students glean the important details. So don’t say “make a decision” when you could say “decide.” And don’t call your link “complete an application” when “apply” makes the point in a shorter, faster way.
Create clear links
Links should be short, but not cryptic. Two- to three-word links are often best. When used in text, the link should be the action, title of the document, or site that you’re going to rather than “click here.” Example: “Apply to K-State” instead of “To apply to K-State, click here.”
Write as though you are talking to one person
Your website communicates to thousands of people, but always one at a time.
Plan for updates
Date each page. Set up a plan for reviewing the material. Creating the website is the easy part; updating it is the real challenge.
Write for how people search
Use the key words your audience will scan for (even if the words aren’t what insiders in your office will call things). Write great metadata—based on the terms users search for—for each page of content. These metatags will be invisible for your users, but they’ll help search engines find your pages. To get more information on this topic, see our section on metadata.