Fall 2010 - Week 1: Interact with Web Standards Chapter Summary

Chapter 5 – Writing for the Web

The chapter begins with how people read websites and how that differs from how people read printed media. We're told what bad and good web writing does with a brief description of SEO. The chapter then gives us a list of tools to organize and style content. A list of web writing tips and tips for keeping the content updated finish the chapter.

The Writer

Writing for the web is trickier than you might think. It requires having multiple skills: the ability to write creatively and on technical subjects, organize content into categories from multiple sources, balance user needs and business goals, and so on. A successful web writer must understand what the user wants and how they will use the web site.

The User

People do not use web sites the same way that they read books. Users go to a site to do specific tasks. They scan pages for relevant information and will leave if they can't find it quickly. Visually impaired users do the same with the aid of special tools. The user will also interact with a site via tools like forms or chat if available.

The Content

The content should be "useful, usable, engaging, and findable". The text should be descriptive but not wordy; personable, but not sloppy. The style should be consistent. It should aid findability for both users and search engines without sacrificing readability. Whatever is most important to the user should be easiest to find on the page.

The Tools

There are several things a web writer should use:

• Copy deck – All of the text for the web site


• Content audit/inventory – A list of all the web pages in a site, their URLs, and any notes about its current state
  
• Style guide – Describes how the text should look, its tone, voice, etc.
  
• Wireframes – A layout of the web page
  
• Sitemap – The hierarchy of all of the web pages in the site
  

The Tips

Erin Anderson lists ten tips for writing for the web. Start with the conclusion. Begin sentences with verbs. Be brief but be specific. Keep the sentence structure simple. Make the text easy to scan by breaking up text into short paragraphs and lists. Use short, concise headings. Headings and links should be accurate. Have the content reviewed by someone knowledgeable. Get writing hints from other good web sites.

Keep the content updated by scheduling regular audits and updates. Put people in charge of the content for specific pages or sections.