How to Write Web Content – Part 2

Keep it Short, Be Direct
To get your readers attention, you need to tell them what’s on the page within the first 15 seconds.  If you don’t, they’re on to the next webpage.  So what do you do?  You write clearly and directly.  In other words, you keep it short.
Know exactly what message you’re trying to get to your reader.  You can brainstorm or write pages of thoughts to help you find your focus, but on the webpage, the focus needs to be clear, direct and immediate.  Don’t start with a story. Start with your point.
Once you have a strong draft, shorten it.  Then, shorten it again. Throw out at least one third, and as much as two thirds, of what you write.  If you can leave a word out, do it.  If you can shorten a sentence, shorten it.
Use the right words to add clarity.  Don’t dig in your thesaurus for college level words, instead, use the language we speak, and think about the meaning of every word you use.  When things are shortened down, every word becomes important.  Use the right ones.
Use contractions, slang, sentence fragments, and conjunctions at the beginning of sentences. These common speech patterns keep your reader moving down the page.
White space on the page tells your reader that you’ll get them the information they need quickly without wasting their time. Short paragraphs, made up of two or three sentences, make the writing look short.
Your word count should be between 300 to 500 words.  Search engines aren’t interested in pages that contain less than 300 words, and 500 words is about the most you can expect your audience to read.
If you can’t say it in 500 words, don’t scare off your reader with a text-covered page. Instead add additional pages with links from your initial page.
And whatever you do, make your content clear, concise and direct.  Then you’ll have a chance at getting your reader to the end of your page.
Judy Kane is a writer and editor at I Write The Words.  When not working on her novel, she’s working on web content and blogging for her clients.
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