Web users are not willing to read long pages and tend to scan the content, instead of reading it word by word. In order to write effective copy for your web pages and articles, use the following guidelines:
- Make your headlines compelling and meaningful. This is your first and possibly last chance to convince a web user to read more.
- Make your text scannable, using
- highlighted text, including hyperlinks
- meaningful subheads
- bulleted and numbered lists
- boxes or sidebars which bring attention to small "chunks" of information
- Keep your paragraphs short, even a line or two. Stick to one idea per paragraph with half the word count (or less) than print materials. A wall of text is deadly for an interactive experience. Web users find it boring and painful to read too much text on screens. Make your material brief by eliminating superfluous words and avoiding fluff.
- Get to the point quickly—in the header and the first sentence. Keep your introduction down to a line or two, the same for a conclusion.
- Tell readers what you want them to do; give them a clear path to the next step. Make your copy strong, clear, and direct.
- Put the most important information at the top of the page—users don’t like to scroll.
- Target the copy to your preferred audience. When you focus your information, you write more compelling copy that your readers will like.