Writing for the Web - 1

Because the influence of the web and social networking media are so pervasive, today I embark on a series of EWAs devoted to writing for the web. In this essay (Essay comes from the French word for try.) I cover a few fundamental writing principles. In future months, I will cover writing effective tweets and direct response web writing, among other topics.

My comments here apply to business-to-business and corporate websites that describe capabilities and product offerings for the purpose of driving business.

Include key words but don’t get carried away. On the home page, make sure your copy includes relevant key words, but also make sure your desire to inject key words doesn’t keep the copy from being helpful and sounding authentic. Mentioning key words and phrases prominently on your home page is important because search engine spiders go out on the web and capture key words. Search engines then deliver up your URL when someone searches for key words that happen to be on your website. Some would say, ''Well, then, let’s just make our home page a string of key words. Stack 'em deep! Sell 'em cheap!'' If that sounds like a used car salesman, it is no coincidence. Today’s search engine spiders are intelligent enough to reject those URLs. So be aware of key words, but put the key-word list away when you write.

Write with authority and clarity to project trustworthiness. Your copy should be simple in structure and authoritative in tone. It should always be in active voice. It should sound natural so it inspires confidence. Make sure it tells visitors exactly what your company does and what they will get out of doing business with you. As with all copy, features and benefits must figure prominently.

Think usability first. Try thinking of your website as both an information utility and as the essence of your brand. Is there a contradiction there? How can a website give visitors useful information and still be the brand? There is no contradiction. The essence of a brand is not what we are; it is what we do for others. For example, there is no need for my ExcitingWriting brand to claim superior writing skills; my brand gives useful advice that demonstrates mastery. On the web, you walk the talk by doing for others.

See your home page the way your visitors see it. The corollary of the think usability first principle is this: See your home page the way your visitor sees it. When you are planning your website, make sure you take into account each audience segment and the information that segment will be looking for when it visits your website. Then design your navigation so your audiences can find what they want with as few clicks as possible.

Make sure your website gives useful information. Remember, sometimes visitors are looking for answers to simple questions that might not occur to you: What is the name of your CEO? What is your postal address? What is your physical address? What business are you in? Why do customers/clients choose to do business with you? When it comes to content, make certain each page is short and to the point. The maximum words on each page: 250 to 300. People scan when they read on the web. They don’t want a tome. It’s fine to attach longer PDFs, but make sure navigation and content are thought out in terms of what users want to know.

Do not be afraid to use the same key words more than once. When you were in school your English teacher might have taught you that you should never to repeat words in close proximity. She taught you to use a thesaurus and synonyms to avoid repeating. That’s over. In web writing you are allowed, even encouraged, to repeat, but be careful. Make sure the web writing sounds natural. For example, it’s okay to repeat some of the same concepts and key words on the About page that you use on the Why Choose page. Make sure you create a balance between usability of content and your use of repeated key words.

Think short and simple. I have already mentioned a maximum of 300 words on each page. Make sure each sentence is short and to the point. Make sure each paragraph doesn’t have too many sentences. The copy should not look too dense on the page. Use bullets and bold subheads to make the copy easy to scan. And make sure you are respectful in your writing and take a business point of view.

Use standard buttons. Websites today routinely use About, or About us, Why choose? Partners, Contact, Press, Investors, Services, Products, Blog, Bios, etc. People are accustomed to seeing those buttons and similar ones in websites. They feel comfortable using them. So make sure they are a part of your website.

What one client wrote about Chuck Lustig
After I wrote copy for her website, Clivia Bettelli Baskin wrote:
''It has been a real pleasure working with you. You have a wonderful grasp of how to present the information, and I like the way you talk through and review changes. Looking forward to another session/project.
All my best,
Clivia