Transcript Writing for the Web - University of California, San Francisco

Writing for the Web
It’s easier than you think.
Different Approaches
 Brevity and bullets rather than a story
 Write for a restless reader
 Actionable content, not narrative
 Write for linking
 Sentence fragments are desirable, not
verboten
Brevity, bullets, no story
Write like you’re outlining ideas
Key points, written short
Break up text into bullets or short
paragraphs with subheads
Save narratives and stories for linked
pages or downloadable documents
Write for a
restless reader
Remember that web-surfers are
searching for specific content.
That’s why search engines are most
peoples’ home pages
Users go to the Internet with a
purpose; short attention spans are
the rule.
Actionable Content
Make it easy for your users/readers
to find what they’re looking for:
Links to deeper pages and info
Boldface subheads steer the eye
Organize text by frequency of use
Break up blocks of content with
photos, graphics, charts
It’s OK to fragment
Defy your English teacher:
Write short, sharp, clear
Don’t worry about verbs, but if you use
them make them active
Use only the words you need; avoid
superfluous flowerisms
On the Web, you must start with
your key words because users
often scan down the left part of a
list of items. They never see the last
words in a link unless the first few
words attract their attention.
Not “The long-term consequences
of pot smoking,” but “Pot smoking
damage over years.”
How the eye moves
From Eyetrack III
http://www.poynterextra.org/eyetrack2004/about.htm
QuickTime™ and a
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Write in soundbites
Rather than long blocks of text,
written for the page with careful
grammar and excellent punctuation,
write as if you had 10 seconds to
say what you want your webpage’s
visitor to hear.
Version A
When a freshman first sets foot on
the UCSF campus, he or she will
have several needs: to find their
classes, to know where their
professors’ offices are, and to learn
where the cafeterias are housed.
Version B
New Student’s Guide to housing,
class locations, food
QuickTime™ and a
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QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
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QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
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QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Reference websites:
www.gooddocuments.com/techniques/overview.htm
www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/
www.buzzwhack.com/
www.december.com/web/develop/overview.html
www.ddj.com/authors.htmjerz.setonhill.edu/writing/etext/conventions.htm