Is Writing For The Web All That Different Than Writing In General?

Is there a specific manner of writing for the web? Actually, yes, there is. Clear formatting, concise wording and efficient delivery. This is the gist of the protocol for this area of publishing.

Not strange, most would say. Hasn't the Web evolved so as to be part of every person's world now? You can access the Web from your TV, your computer, your phone, your digital gadgets. Whatever is on these pages can be logged into anytime, from virtually anywhere, with whatever you are looking for a few clicks away.

But web readers are not like novel readers. Therefore, someone writing for the web cannot write like someone that is writing a novel.

Here are a few things to consider when writing for the web:

- Layout considerations
- Reading manner
- Attention span
- Relevance of information

All the above affect the way writing for the web differs from writing for print.

- Layout considerations

When words are laid out on paper, the eye tends to automatically take in margins and such bearings to make sense of the layout. This doesn't happen on screen. Words tend to jumble and merge into a big mass of characters that is hard to decipher.

How to address this then? Writing for the web requires using more white space and placing the information in such a way that it is easy for the eyesight to grasp.

A few ways to do this are:

- breaking long paragraphs into smaller blocks.
- inserting a blank line between paragraphs.
- keeping paragraphs short and concise.
- use visual cues such as bulleted lists and tables and graphs, which provide information in one glance.
- use easy-to-read fonts such as Georgia and Verdana, in a legible size, so the eye can grasp it and focus easily.

- Reading manner

It is a fact that people don't read words on screen as they do on paper. Here are a few considerations where reading ease is concerned:

- The top of the page is vital space. A web page usually displays the top third of the page when it loads. The user needs to scroll to read the lower thirds. Therefore, when writing for the web, making use of this top space to catch readers' attention is essential.

The above distinction brings us to an essential aspect of writing for the web – the format. Web writing follows the inverted pyramid format.

Traditional writing makes use of an introduction, a body of information, and finally leads to a conclusion. The reader needs to read the whole thing to get to the conclusion. Basically, this conclusion is what he wants to get to. The format of such a piece then starts with an introduction at the top, very much like the tip of a pyramid, leading down to the conclusion, the foot or the base of the pyramid.

Writing for the web makes use of an inverted pyramid format. Flip the pyramid, with the base at the top and the tip at the bottom. Thus, it starts with the conclusion.

When writing for the web, the first paragraph of any article writing piece for the Web should start with the conclusion of the matter being dealt with. A reader, by reading the first paragraph alone, should already know what the full piece will tell him in more detail.

- Remember, readers skim a page on screen. They won't read everything word by word. They'll scan the page for a general idea of what is being said. Therefore writing for the web means using keywords and displays such as bold or color help to present a better picture for the 'scanner'.

Hyperlinks fall in this category, but beware using too many stylistic devices and too many links, as they detract from the content.

- Attention span & Relevance of information

The attention span of the on-screen reader is very fickle. It is thus better to have short, concise pieces that deliver the information quickly and efficiently.

Information should pertain to the topic being dealt with. Use of examples and anecdotes should be kept to a minimum. Writing for the web should be active, as in they should provide the reader what he is looking for and not digress into unnecessary detours.

On the whole, writing for the Web is not all that different. It is mostly the delivery that has to be adjusted to fit this medium.