Writing for websites is a very different  to writing in print.

People don’t read web pages the same way they read books or magazines, and you can quickly lose readers if your writing isn’t in the correct style

Users tend to scan content on the web hunting for the information they’re after, as opposed to reading word-for-word

With this in mind here are some top tips for writing for the web:

Use clear and simple language

Avoid slang or jargon – Get your grandmother and ten year old nephew to read your site – if both can understand the page content you’ve done well!

Limit each paragraph to one idea

This assists usability and readers can more easily scan a page looking for the information they need. One idea per paragraph allows a use to:

• Easily scan through each paragraph
• Get the general gist of what the paragraph is about
• Then move on to the next paragraph

Front-load content

Front-loading content means putting the conclusion first, followed by the what, how, where, when and why. The first line of each paragraph should contain the conclusion for that paragraph, so site visitors can:

• Quickly scan through the opening sentence
• Instantly understand what the paragraph is about
• Decide if they want to read the rest of the paragraph or not

Coupled with the one paragraph one idea a user can quickly decide of the text is relevant.

Front-loading also applies to web pages, as well as paragraphs. The opening paragraph on every page should always contain the conclusion of that page. This way, site visitors can instantly gain an understanding of what the page is about and decide whether they want to read the page or not

For a great example of front-loaded content, just read any newspaper article. The opening paragraph is always the conclusion of the article.

Use descriptive sub-headings

Breaking up text with descriptive sub-headings allows site visitors to easily see what each section of the page is about. The main heading on the page provides a brief overall view of what the page is about, and the opening paragraph gives a brief conclusion of the page (because you’ve front-loaded the page content). Within the page though, there are various sub-themes which can be quickly put across with sub-headings.

There is no hard and fats rule about how frequently sub headings should appear but perhaps aim for one every 3 or 4 paragraphs. Remember the aim is to make the page as easy to san as possible for the user.

Use descriptive link text

“Click here” should never be used as it do0es not explain to a user scanning the pages what the link goes. They will have to stop and read through the rest of the text to find out. This is not best practice. It is best to try and make the link part of the text and make it clear what is being linked to.

Use lists

Lists are extreme useful in presenting a lot of information in a concise and clear way. If a list can be used it is almost always preferable to long paragraphs. Lists are:

• easier to scan
• less intimidating
• usually more succinct
• Allow users to read the information vertically rather than horizontally

Left-align text

Left-aligned text is easier to read than justified text, which in turn is easier to read than centre- or right-aligned text.

When reading through justified text the spacing between each word is different so our eyes have to search for the next word. This slows down our reading speed. Right- and centre-aligned paragraphs slow down reading speed even more because each time you finish reading one line your eye has to search for the beginning of the next line.

It should also go without saying Spelling and grammar should always be correct. Check and check and check again. Spell check does not count!