Writing for the web
Web Editing and Digital Media
wedm@essex.ac.uk
Contents
What is writing for the web? .............................................................................................................................................. 2
Accessibility ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Usability ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Writing for print (linear style) ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Writing for the web (non-linear style) ................................................................................................................................ 4
Skim reading ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Scanning ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Effective web content ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Headings ........................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Descriptive links ................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Highlighting and emphasis ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Tone of voice ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Keep it short ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Further resources ............................................................................................................................................................ 10
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What is writing for the web?
We live in a digital world where people want to find information and answers to their questions quickly. Many people don’t realise
there is a difference between how we communicate in a printed context and the online experience. They are different mediums with
very different ways of communicating information.
We also need to make sure information is accessible to everyone – whoever they are and whatever their ability. The web has a
huge range of users with a lot of different needs so we need to consider that when we write web content.
This course is designed to help you understand the way we write for the web and all the factors that go into creating strong and
purposeful content.
What this course guide covers
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
Accessibility and usability;

Writing styles for print and web;

How we read online;

Organising your content; and

Good web writing practice.
Accessibility
“The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of
disability is an essential aspect.”
Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web
Web accessibility is about making websites intuitive for people of all abilities. When we correctly design, develop and edit our web
content with this in mind, everyone can have access to the same information and functionality. We need to make sure the web is
accessible so that we can ensure equal access and equal opportunity for everyone.
Web accessibility covers all disabilities which have an impact on access. An accessible site will be beneficial for people who may
have disabilities such as: visually impaired/blind, hearing impaired/deaf, dyslexic or motor impaired.
Who sets accessibility guidelines?
The Web Accessibility Initiative is part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The W3C is an international community where
member organisations, full-time staff and the public work together to develop web standards.
Is it just about users with disabilities?
The simple answer is no. Web accessibility is of huge benefit to people both with and without a disability. The key principle is to
design websites that are flexible and meet different user needs, preferences and situations. This also benefits people in certain
situations such as people with a slow internet connection, changing abilities due to ageing or temporary issues such as a broken
arm.
Usability
“Your objective should always be to eliminate instructions entirely by making
everything self-explanatory, or as close to it as possible. When instructions are
absolutely necessary, cut them back to a bare minimum.”
Steve Krug – Don’t Make Me Think
A website should be easy to use, intuitive and allow people to find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently. Web usability is
really just an extension of the principles of accessibility. If a user spends more than a few seconds trying to find what they came in
for, chances are they will be off before they get there – in most cases they won’t come back.
Basic rules of usability
Sites must be easy to navigate
Don’t make the user spend ages trying to find out what they want to know. If they are looking for a service you provide, make it as
straightforward and as clear as possible in your content by embedding links to the relevant information.
Use text that can be easily scanned
Organise your text in a way the user can pick up essential points at a glance. Break up the text with short paragraphs, use bullet
points for lists and make use of headings (pg ??) and descriptive links (pg ??)
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Correct use of images
Images should not distract the user from the content on your page. You also need to make sure they are appropriate for the web in
terms of file size. A large file will take a long time to download so anyone with a slow internet connection or using a mobile will have
difficulty accessing your page. If they sit for some time waiting for an image to load when all they want to find out is the answer to a
question, chances are they will just head straight back out again.
It’s easy for us to forget about who uses a website – not everyone will find things as easily as you or in the same way. You have to
think about every potential user.
Writing for print (linear style)
Traditionally, most of us are taught to read and write in a print style. Most of us can remember how we were taught to write an
essay at school and university. Books and newspaper articles are also written in this style.
Key things to remember about linear style:

there is a logical sequence to print – beginning > middle > end;

a report format usually follows – introduction > main text > conclusion; and

the reader is led by the author.
This style of linear writing doesn’t work online as the way we read online is very different to how we read a book or essay.
Writing for the web (non-linear style)
On websites, we generate our own experience by scanning pages, headings, bullets, paragraphs and links to find the information
we are looking for.
Online we don’t read word for word. One of the main reasons for this is that reading online takes longer - four times slower than
reading from print because:

a computer screen displays text with less detail and sharpness than a printed page so letters are fuzzier; and

our eyes tire faster reading text on a screen, especially on smaller screens.
Web content is organised differently: conclusion > explanation > details. This is also known as the ‘inverted pyramid style’, see
page XX for more details.
Things to keep in mind:
•
Don’t make users work for your content.
•
Most people who read a web page only absorb at most three quarters of the content.
•
Steve Krug also recommends that content on most websites can be cut down by 50 per cent - even after a cut of this size,
amendments can still be made which indicates that the content you think you need is nowhere near what the user needs.
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Skim reading
“Arocdnicg to rsceearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in
a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pcale.”
Chances are you’ve read this without a problem. Think about how quickly you’ve skimmed over the words. When we read online we
use a mixture of skimming and scanning skills to find the information we’re looking for.
Typically, to read online content we will:

Quickly skim read the content for gist;

Find what we’re looking for via headings and links; and

Make sense of the content by reading the first sentence in the paragraph.
To help us skim read we rely on differences in word shapes to read the text. Capital letters make reading online slower and should
be avoided where possible. Paragraph and sentence length is important to a web user to help them skim read a piece of text
online.
Scanning
Scanning is another skill that we use when reading a web page. It differs from skimming in that you do not deal with all of the
content. Users will be:

Searching for a specific purpose;

Searching for a word, phrase or reference;

Finding the answer to a question; and

Completing a task.
We use a mixture of skimming and scanning to read content online.
Web user eye movement
The F-shape is considered the standard for how most of us view most web pages. Eye-tracker research is often carried out by
usability labs who test a site to look for areas to improve in terms of accessibility and usability. It is now understood that users start
in the top left-hand corner of the text and then scan horizontally and vertically in an F shape to read the content.
The example below shows three very different websites:

The first is an “about us” section of a corporate website;

The second is a product page on an e-commerce site; and

Third is a Google search result.
Although they are different sites, what they show is that there is a standard eye movement online. For these results, 232 users
were tested which is a significant test group to assume this to be the standard we should consider when creating web content.
More information about eye-tracking research is at www.nngroup.com/articles/f-shaped-pattern-reading-web-content/
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Effective web content
“Content strategy is the practice of planning for the creation, delivery, and
governance of useful, usable content.”
Kristina Halvorson, author Content Strategy for the Web
Well-written content is one of the most reliable ways to create a good first impression on your visitors. A well-planned content
strategy involves studying the audience to know the type of information they’re seeking. A solid content strategy enables you to
provide content that addresses the needs of your audience, in the format they desire. By being audience-friendly, you’re also more
than likely to succeed in getting search engine attention, and attracting audience visits and revisits.
Know who you are writing for
Think about who specifically you’re trying to reach. Students? But which students are you talking about? Prospective students?
International graduate students? Returning current students? Mature students at the Southend Campus? Knowing who you are
writing for will help keep your content focused and to the point.
Define your visitors’ tasks and give them what they are looking for
Don’t lose sight of what your website copy needs to do. Know why the reader has come to your page and what they will want to do
there. Provide the information the reader is looking for and do not be tempted to write more than is necessary, your reader is
unlikely to read it and it will get in their way.
Make it compelling
Putting together badly considered content can make even the most exciting subject in the world sound dull. Consider in detail what
you want to tell them and how you can relate to them in a way that will interest and engage them. Strong, compelling content:

helps the reader feel that you can relate to their needs;

lends a feeling a trustworthiness and credibility to your site; and

tells the readers who you are and what you do, but more importantly it tells them why they should care about what you
have to say and how it will help them.
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Organise your content
Organise your content carefully so that readers can find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, by using:

well-structured content;

clear, descriptive headings;

short sentences and paragraphs; and

bullet points for lists of items.
The inverted pyramid style means you should put the most important information first when writing for the web. This style of web
writing has many benefits:

readers can quickly skim through the first sentences and
assess whether they want to read your entire content;

readers can stop reading at any point and still come away with
the main points;

by starting with your conclusion, the first few sentences on
your web page will contain most of your relevant keywords,
boosting your search engine optimization (how Google or
other search engines categorise your page in search results);
and

you are more likely to keep your readers on the page if they
can find what they want quickly.
Keep it short
Lastly, it’s important to stress that shorter, concise content generally works much more effectively. Remember, your users will want
to get to what they need quickly. They won’t read your content, they will scan – so don’t make them work to find the information in
your content.
As a rule of thumb, only write one idea per paragraph and keep sentences short. Even if you think you can’t shorten your text any
more, Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think, argues that content on most websites can be cut down by 50 per cent, and even
after a cut of this size, amendments can still be made which indicates that the content you think you need is nowhere near what the
user needs.
Headings
Signposting users to where they want to go is a crucial part of providing the user with the best possible experience on your site. If
you’re driving along a motorway at 70mph, you need to identify road signs easily and quickly at a glance. Reading and signposting
on the web is a lot like guiding someone on a motorway!
Headings on a web page give us a sense of direction and are effectively our online road signs. By using descriptive headings,
search engines will find your pages and visitors will be able to happily ‘drive’ around your site.
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Descriptive headings
Descriptive headings help users find specific content and orient themselves within the web page. Your headings must accurately
describe what is in the paragraph that follows. This helps users locate the specific content they need, and is especially helpful when
browsers or assistive technology allow navigation from heading to heading. Here’s an example of how a heading can be improved:
Overview
Our bustling campuses in Colchester, Loughton and Southend allow you to get fully involved in student life.
Having all our services and facilities within easy reach lets you take every opportunity to try new experiences
and pursue your interests, while enjoying a world-class education.
Student life at Essex
Our bustling campuses in Colchester, Loughton and Southend allow you to get fully involved in student life.
Having all our services and facilities within easy reach lets you take every opportunity to try new experiences
and pursue your interests, while enjoying a world-class education.
Descriptive links
Being descriptive about headings also applies to links. The trouble with links such as ‘click here’ is that they don’t tell you exactly
what that link will lead to and they don’t provide information for users scanning the links on the page to help them understand the
page’s content.
Search engines also find it difficult to crawl through pages with non-descriptive links, which severely limits your page or site’s
visibility in search results.
In terms of accessibility, screen reader users often navigate websites going from link to link using the tab key. For this reason,
providing links that make sense is vitally important and necessary. For example, if a page says “click here” 20 times, how will the
user navigate their way through the links and remember what takes them where? By not being descriptive you are alienating a
large proportion of your readers and are making it harder for them to access your web page.
Non-descriptive:
For further information on this course and to book a place in
advance, please visit the Learning and Development website.
Descriptive:
For further information, or to book a place, contact the
Learning and Development team.
Non-descriptive
If you wish to donate to the University of Essex, please click here.
Descriptive
To support our work you can donate to the University of Essex.
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Highlighting and emphasis
When we need to highlight or emphasis something in our content, the temptation is to use lots of bold and capital letters. Capitals
can cause issues online as they are much more difficult to read. Capitals online convey shouting but if your content is clear, well
organised and structure, you won’t need to shout about it.
Our University house style also stipulates that capital letters should be used sparingly www.essex.ac.uk/brand/house_style.aspx
In addition, don’t use heading styles to emphasis your content as this will confuse the reader and search engines. You can use a
small amount of bold, but also sparingly.
Tone of voice
Bringing our University’s brand to life through the language we use is just as important as our visual identity. In order to
communicate our messages with one voice, in a clear and consistent way that truly reflects who we are, there are some key
principles to bear in mind.
Conversational and warm
Keep the tone friendly and accessible and write in the first person wherever possible (“We offer…” rather than “The University of
Essex offers…”). For example,
Instead of saying:
Students should consider their future carefully before selecting a course.
Try:
While choosing your university and degree subject, think about the kind of
work you eventually want to do.
Real life and straightforward
Keep language clear and simple – without dumbing down the content – and avoid jargon wherever possible. For example,
Instead of saying:
As well as ensuring students make the most of their potential through their academic studies, the
University of Essex also provides an environment which caters for all of the needs of its students
through providing a range of accommodation, catering facilities, an active Students’ Union, sport
and the arts.
Try:
Student life is about more than just studying. We support you with everything you’ll be looking for:
from accommodation and catering through to an active Students’ Union, great sports facilities and
an engaging arts programme.
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Further resources
Web Authors’ Guide www.essex.ac.uk/wag/
Corporate author templates webwip.essex.ac.uk/templates/default_authors.aspx
Copywriting course www.essex.ac.uk/ldev/
Essex house style www.essex.ac.uk/brand/house_style.aspx
Writing for the web
www.nngroup.com/topic/writing-web/
www.nngroup.com/articles/f-shaped-pattern-reading-web-content/
www.nngroup.com/articles/inverted-pyramids-in-cyberspace/
www.gerrymcgovern.com/
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