Writing For The World Wide Web

Contributed by Chad Barlew

Perhaps you do not know this, but different medias require different ways of writing. What is a media? Media is a term used for a different format of communication. For example, a magazine is a type of media, and the Internet is another type of media. When writing for a web site, you will want to use a different tone, different words, and different stylistic techniques than you would in a magazine. This is because people read different medias in different ways. Have you ever found yourself scanning a web page for information? You most likely would not do this if you were reading a novel or a poem. Computer monitors broadcast all of their images with a combination of three colors: Red, Blue, and Green. This is because all of the information on your screen is backlit, much like a television screen. This lighting causes eye fatigue, and because of this, most people do not want to sit hunched over a monitor reading long documents.

The first thing you want to consider is what you really wish to say. Keep your information short, sweet, and to the point. Create an outline with key points and then begin writing. In the web-designing world, they call your writing “text” or “verbage.” You will want to consider your target audience and write your text with precision.

The most important thing to consider when writing for a web page is how you are going to divide the page. It is a difficult line to walk. You want to use legible headings to divide your information, but you do not want to divide it to the point that your visitors have to scroll for extended amounts of time. Remember, most web surfers are browsing your site because they do not have the time to go to the library. If there are any key words or important pieces of information that your visitors should have, put it in bold type or make the words a different color.

Break your writing into small, tight, and succinct paragraphs. No one wants to scroll through lines and lines of text to find the information they need.

Use a san serif typeface like Helvetica or Ariel for your headings but use a nice serif typeface like Times or Garamond for the body of your work. San serif typefaces are great for getting someone’s attention; however, serif typefaces were designed to lead a reader’s eye comfortably from one letter to the next. It is scary to think someone has put so much thought in to letters, but they have!

Remember to state the important information first and use the rest of the page to expand in more detail. It is not much different from writing an essay. Luckily for us, no one usually grades us on our web text!

Again, it is important to remember that you are not Herman Melville. Keep your words to a minimum. You are not writing the next Moby Dick, you are simply providing information for your visitors.

Write all of your text in a word processing program like Microsoft® Word before posting it on a web site. Most web programs do not have spell-check or editing capabilities. Edit in Word, and cut and paste your writing into your web program. If you are unsure about how to cut and paste, look to your computer tutorial or a Microsoft Word tutorial. You always want your work to look professional. Nothing makes a web visitor leave a site quicker than when she/he doubts your credibility.

Before you launch into writing for a web site, it might be a good idea to browse some sites that you quite like and see how they word things. You may want to take note of their design and color choices as well. Instead of using a black background or white background, consider a dull color to battle eyestrain and eye fatigue. If you are writing for your business, look at the competition’s web site. What things are they doing right and upon what things do you think your company could improve?

One of the best things about the Internet is how easily one can learn to publish his or her work. Follow these steps and you will have a snappy, well-written web site in no time flat!

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About the Author:
Chad Barlew is a freelance writer living in Denver, Colorado.

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