Writing for the Web
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Write Less Web users scan, they don't read. The more concise the content, the easier it is to scan.
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A good approach is to write concisely, then cut, edit, paraphrase and finally trim.
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Readers aren't sitting in a leather chair in the living room ready to soak up your text. They're often busy, distracted, multitasking, or some combination.
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Front Load
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Put important content first so that is above the fold of the window. People on the internet don't read much anyway.
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Inverted Pyramid -If essential info is first, the reader can decide whether to read on.
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Use Headlines and Headings
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Headlines and lower-order headings benefit from being large and high-contrast, so they attract the eye.
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Once you've attracted the eye, a headline needs hooks to catch the reader's attention.
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Present info in chunks or sections for easy scanning.
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Many people read out of order so chunks help with this.
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Establish Trust
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Imagine you're stopping people on the street and have to get your message out quickly.
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Don't oversell, set out the facts plainly and clearly.
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Be enthusiastic, but not pushy.
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Use an Active Voice
Passive voice uses slightly more words than Active, and takes slightly more decoding.
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Active voice - the subject of a sentence in the active voice performs an action or does something.
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Example: Upload new contact information on the Contact Us page.
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Passive voice - the subject of a sentence in the passive voice is acted upon, something is done to it.
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Example: New contact information can be uploaded on the Contact Us page.
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