Media Writing Lecture Notes – Week 10

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*Your readers are also “users” of the web

*They respond differently when reading only (compared to print publications)

*A website is not static (like book, magazine, brochure).

* It is a dynamic and organic environment.

*Change and updates are expected.

*The need to easily and clearly spot changes and updates on information is expected.

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*Users scan the web until they see something that meets their needs – so much competing information out there, how do you stand out and catch their attention.

*They also skim through the information and read in detail after they find what they want – they “scan first, read later”.

*Users are generally impatient and time-conscious – give them what they need to know immediately.

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*Computer screen resolution is not as sharp as the print on paper.

*The backlight on screens is reflective and strains the eye.

*Hence, readers tend to read on the web 25% more slowly than when they are reading printed materials.

*Lesson?

*Use writing and layout techniques to ease their reading experience (next section on this lecture).

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*Web writers often miss typos and grammatical errors, perhaps due to screen resolution, complex web layout and other distracting factors.

*Every piece of published writing should be perfect and error-free, especially when you are writing to convince, persuade, sell or change.

*Lesson?

*Produce your content as plain text on word documents first.

*Edit.

*Proofread.

*Edit.

*Proofread.

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* It’s easy for web visitors to click into your page, and even easier for them to click out.

*Web readers do not wish to hunt around a complicated site for information that they want.

*Web readers also do not like to scroll down a long piece of text.

*Lesson?

*Present interesting information (to hook readers) first.

*Present crucial information as early as possible.

*Keep information precise and concise.

*Use links to allow readers to jump to another section for elaboration if they wish.

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*Make full use of the dynamic property of the web to create interest and add value for your readers.

*Lesson?

*Present your website in layers by adding links to other parts of your website to guide them to more /other content.

*Also, non-essential information can be referred to and access provided to readers using a hyperlink.

*This leaves the most important information front and centre.

*Have a search box to search for content

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*Add graphics and animations – to draw attention and maintain interest.

*Refresh web content constantly with “latest news/updates”.

* Include reply forms, comment forms and contact us forms etc.

*Have chat boxes

*Use tags for different categories of articles

*Embed videos

*The “landing point” on your website may not be the front page. Readers can click into any point/page of your website.

*Lesson?

*Avoid using phrases such as “as we saw above”, “as mentioned earlier”.

*Treat each page as a stand-alone document to be read as a whole.

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*Web versions of the same article or document needs to be kept shorter than the print version.

*If the print version of a say a brochure is 500 words, the web version should be condensed to 250 words.

*Keep sentences to a short and manageable length (20 words or so).

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*Aid your reader in better understanding of your content by:

*Avoiding slang or jargon

*Using shorter words where possible

*Avoiding complex sentence structures – try to include just one idea or concept per sentence

*Writing in the active not passive voice

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*Assign only ONE idea/main point to each paragraph so that your readers can:

*Easily scan through each paragraph

*Get the gist of what the paragraph is about

*Quickly move on to the next paragraph (thus the next point) after that

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*A solid block of text is very hard to read on screen.

*Keep paragraphs to 3 or 4 sentences each, with space between them.

*Leave enough white space (empty spaces between content) for ease of reading and finding information.

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*Headers and sub-headers:

*Allow readers to easily see what each section of the page is about

*Provide a brief overall view of what the page is about

*Logically group similar points and elaboration together each one (sub-header)

*Descriptive = ?

*Meaningful, makes sense, has value, describes the content to come in a few, brief words

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*Web writing, with hypertext, is especially suitable to be organised according to categories of information.

*Users can jump from chunk to chunk of information and get to what interests them the most fastest.

*E.g.

*Five Steps to a Becoming an A Student

*Best Golf Courses in West Malaysia

*17 Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle

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*Describe your headers and links with a short blurb so that readers can have an early idea whether the content is what they wish to continue reading.

*Five Steps to a Becoming an A Student. Easy ways to review, remember, recall what you have learned.

*Best Golf Courses in West Malaysia. From rolling greens to challenging sandscapes.

*17 Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle. Live longer, think clearer and perform better.

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*Lists are better than long paragraphs for web content because they:

*Allow users to read information vertically (instead of horizontally)

*Are easier for your readers to scan through

*Are less intimidating to attempt to understand (unlike complex sentences in long paragraphs)

*Are usually more concise and precise

Note: Using lists or bullet points does not mean you can write ungrammatically.

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*When scanning, a reader’s eye would be naturally drawn to words or phrases that are:

*Bold

* Italics

*Font colour

* Font style

*Words that describe the main point of your paragraph can get the “bold” treatment – so that (yes, once again) visitors can get the gist of what you are writing immediately.

*Warning: Do not overuse.

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*Instead of chains of text and paragraphs, you could opt to present your information in the form of graphs, charts, tables or other types of graphics.

*This further aids scanning and comprehending of information without the need to digest long sentences.

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*You want your readers to take action.

*Make the call for action clear, easy to spot and/or clickable.

*Click here to subscribe.

*Email us now!

*Post a comment.

*Volunteer today!

*Or use special web forms.

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*Is the site for entertainment, marketing, information, education etc.?

*Is your purpose achieved – in the content choice, writing style, and layout?

*Can visitors understand what the site is about within 3 seconds, and without scrolling?

*Is it obvious what site this is (what kind of organisation), without digging deep?

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*Are the intended visitors technologically inclined or novices?

*Can they get the basic information without too many special applications (Flash, pop-ups, log ins, etc.) hampering their navigation?

*Does the page load quickly enough for the visitors?

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*Is the site easily navigable?

*Are all the content arranged in a coherent manner?

*Are there repetitive content?

*Is there enough content?

*Is there too much content?

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*Do the graphics enhance the text or distract from it?

*Does text invite reading with the conscious use short paragraphs, legible fonts, relatively narrow columns, and white space between paragraphs?

*Does the layout of the site look professional, credible and trustworthy?

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