3. Use colour to emphasise Think of web pages as multimedia communication tools, they are visual and need to capture the attention of an easily distracted reader. Using colour can help you achieve this goal and unlike graphics the advantage is that colour does not increase your web pages’ size or band-with 4. Consider copyright issues The internet is an huge source of information and ideas, but just as in any other traditional form of communication, copyright laws apply and web writers need to be extra careful not to give in to temptation to "borrow" content from other websites. 5. Consider your reader's knowledge level The use of acronyms, abbreviations and jargon is common in many industries, and it definitely seems to be widespread on the Internet. Remember that your readers may not always be familiar with terms likes FAQ (frequently asked questions) etc - always consider the knowledge level of your audience. 6. Font style Using the right font can make all the difference between people deciding to read your web page of ‘browse-on’. Verdana is a widely used and easy to read font preferred by many Web Designers and "usability" experts. Remember also to use ‘bold’ rather than ‘underlining’ if you need to highlight any text, as the second option can be confused for a hyperlink. The most common mistake is to use too many different fonts and styles - choose one or 2 and stick to it. 7. Devote attention to you home page content Your home page is your most valuable piece of real estate on the internet. Having the right content on your home page improves your website usability, it helps capture visitors’ interest and it can also improve your search engine ranking. Consider your homepage like a shop front or the front page of a magazine and keep it fresh and relevant. 8. Links and reading paths Links are the most important tool to help the communication flow on your website. A good linking system should: a) Anticipate the reader’s expectations. b) Be specific (link to a specific page, not a home or menu page) c) Have a title which would attract the readers’ interest. and especially a link should clearly state where the user is being redirected to. 9. Understand your niche Your potential audience is extremely large and diverse, but unless you are a major brand you probably have a very targeted group of customers - either by location or industry or age - or some combination. Developing the right content for your website also means choosing the right style for your niche or target audience. There are countless ways to do this but one simple starting point is to look at the way similar businesses in your industry or market use their website content. 10. Use punctuation Punctuation is important in every written form of communication - but especially the web. Punctuation can be used to lead the reader through your message. Here are some very simple guidelines you can follow when writing for the web:
Full stop (period): Use as often as possible. Text on the
web should be brief and concise, full stops help you keep your sentences
brief and create pauses where you want to emphasize a concept. Exclamation mark: Often overused on the internet, it can also be interpreted as ‘shouting’.
Colon: This is a very useful to introduce "additional"
content and can help to give a clear and easy to follow structure
to illustrate a set of ideas. |
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