To say the Internet is a crowded space is like saying there are a lot of stars in the sky, sand on the beach, or atoms in a cell. According to Internet Live Stats, there are more than 1.9 billion websites in existence, more than 3.5 billion Google searches every day, and roughly 350,000 tweets sent every minute.
Capturing readers’ interests in this exploding digital universe can be immensely challenging. A study from analytics service Chartbeat found that 55 percent of visitors spend 15 seconds or fewer on a webpage.
Good website writing is the key to beating these statistics. Well-written content that’s optimized for the web rises to the top of search results and holds readers’ attention.
Some writing tips apply regardless of whether your prose appears on screen, in print or carved into a pyramid wall. Other tactics are especially relevant for digital scribes. Follow these 11 principles to make sure your website content gets the attention it deserves.
1. Know your audience
It sounds simple, but so many writers put pen to paper—or finger to keyboard—before thinking about who it is they’re trying to reach. Before drafting content, ask yourself these questions: Who is my primary audience? What about a secondary audience who can influence and inform my primary audience? How will they find my site online?
For example, say you’re creating a website for a law firm. Your primary audience might be existing clients. However, your secondary audience is much broader and could include other attorneys, law reporters, or anyone who might need your services in the future. You’ll need to make sure your content is both accessible and interesting to all of these audiences. What kind of questions might these groups ask about a particular topic? Where are they most active online? What kind of information do they need?
Audiences find web content through many different paths—social media sharing, links from other websites, email sharing, and search engine results. That last method is especially important when you write for the web. Text could be extremely well-written and informative, but if it’s not optimized for search engines, chances are few people will find it. Think of your audience again: what search terms would they type into Google? Make sure to include those terms in headlines and sub-headers.
2. Follow the “inverted pyramid” model
Web readers have short attention spans—they’ll decide whether your site has the information they need in seconds. Structure your content like an upside-down pyramid or cone. The most important messages go at the top of the page. Then, gradually drill down to the more specific, supporting information. End with tangential details.
For example, say you’re creating a webpage about a conference. The most pertinent details—a description of the theme, date, and location—would appear at the top of the page. Supporting details like speakers and their lecture topics would follow. The less important information—such as conference organizers, the history of the conference series or a list of related resources—would appear at the bottom of the page.
These two graphs helped guide our own website makeover and can help you conceptualize the structure of your site.
These two graphs can help you conceptualize the structure of your site.
3. Write short, simple sentences
Long sentences are for Charles Dickens—the short attention span of today’s reader demands sentences of 35 words or fewer. And according to webpagefx.com, the average American adult reads at a 7th to 9th-grade level. So website content that’s accessible and easy to read will naturally reach a wider audience.
Focus on using nouns and verbs; use adverbs and adjectives sparingly. Don’t use words like “equanimity” or “obfuscate” when words like “calm” or “confuse” will do.
If you’re not sure what grade level you write at (like most of us!) then it’s useful to check how your texts score on readility models.
Most of the popular models are based on the length of words and sentences in a text. Your text’s readability is then scored by a number or an education level. These three tools will scan your text and score its readability:
Can your text be easily understood at a 7th to 9th-grade reading level? Check how it scores on the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level to find out.
4. Stick to active voice
Use active rather than passive verbs, and specify the subject of the sentence. For example, rather than writing “A coffee was ordered,” write “The man ordered a coffee.” Instead of saying “Products can be ordered on our website,” say “You can order products on our website.”
Active voice helps create succinct, reader-friendly sentences. It’s also more direct; when you speak directly to the audience (“You can do it”) it’s more engaging than saying “It can be done.”
5. Show, don’t tell
Don’t limit your prose to generalities and high-level statements. Specific, real-world examples help readers better understand and visualize your messages. Consider these two descriptions:
This is the best dog toy money can buy.
Or
We made the “Rough Rover” dog toy from durable, 100 percent natural rubber, designed to resist punctures and tears from even the most dedicated of chewers.
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