Writing for the Web
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The document provides tips for writing effective web content, including using active voice, choosing impactful nouns and verbs, defining a clear voice and tone, using short sentences and paragraphs, adding headings to organize content, employing bulleted and numbered lists, focusing on essential messages for the intended audience, removing unnecessary words, and simplifying language. The document encourages writing in a way that is easy to understand by cutting content and focusing on the key points.
Writing for the Web
- 1. OCTOBER 27, 2015 WRITING FOR THE WEB REBECCA BLAKISTON INTERNET LIBRARIAN
- 2. Write like you talk try reading out loud
- 3. Relax and have fun with it "Do better research. (And, maybe, get a better grade)." "Write and cite like a pro." "We're here to help!"
- 4. Two pages of the passive voice - just about any business document ever written, in other words... make me want to scream. It's weak, it's circuitous, and it's frequently tortuous, as well. Stephen King
- 5. Use active voice Library cards can be renewed.... These statistics have been gathered... Customers are advised... Renew your library card... We gathered these statistics... We advise you...
- 6. Pick nouns and verbs wisely The context of events led to new collective thinking about future processes. The creative culture of the organization leads to the ability to move forward quickly on technological initiatives. Our librarians are creating better ways to get work done. Staff members are creative, making it easy to move forward quickly on technological initiatives.
- 7. Define your voice and tone Reassuring, but not paternalistic. Inspiring, but not cheerlead-y. Fun, but not cheeky. Academic, but not highbrow.
- 8. Pick a succinct, meaningful title Patron-Driven Acquisitions (also known as On-Demand Information Delivery) Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery, and Express Retrieval Services Getting books at your request Get books and articles you need, when you need them
- 9. Keep sentences and paragraphs short Paragraphs no more than three sentences or six lines. Sentences no more than 25 words. A paragraph can be just one sentence. recommends Ann Handley, Everybody Writes
- 10. Use headings to organize content
- 11. Use the power of parallelism Improve your research skills Finding sources in your discipline Grant funding searching Improve your research skills Find sources in your discipline Search for grant funding
- 12. Use tables for related content
- 13. Use bulleted lists for items and options
- 14. Use numbered lists for instructions
- 15. But use instructions sparingly Avoid saying: Fill out the form below. To navigate this website... To use this web page...
- 16. As well as other unnecessary things Avoid saying: In this article... In this blog post... On this web page...
- 18. Focus on essential messages Know your audience. Define call(s) to action. Only include content that meets user and organizational goals. Put key messages first.
- 19. No one will ever complain that you've made things too simple to understand. Ann Handley
- 20. Remove unnecessary adverbs Very large Very small Argue strongly Huge Tiny Insist
- 21. Remove redundant adjectives Our strategic plan is innovative, creative, and forward-thinking. Our strategic plan is breaking new ground.
- 22. Simplify Use For To Except for When Called Although Utilize To ensure In order to With the possible exception of At which time Referred to as In spite of the fact that