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How to Write for the Web

7/10/2009 10:18 AM By

Usability guru Jakob Nielsen did a groundbreaking study in 1997 about the way people read websites. He found that people don’t settle down to read a web page the way they might a book or magazine. Instead they scan the page, looking for information of interest. Here are some recommendations for catching a “scanner’s” eye:

  • Use bulleted lists (like this one!)
  • Use boldface keywords
  • Make subheads informative
  • State one idea per paragraph
  • Keep writing tight
  • Use objective language rather than “marketese”

Web content writers need a firm grasp of these techniques to help make their work stand out and attract clicks.

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