Writing for the Internet - Google Docs

The who, what, when, where and web: Writing for the Internet

June 14, 2011 Christopher C. Lorenzo NetLearn Ventures, Inc.

How do users read web content? ● They don't. ● People rarely read Web pages word by word. ● Instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences. Research on how people read websites shows that users always scanned any new page they came across; few read word-by-word.

How do users read web content? ● As a result, Web pages have to employ: ○ Scannable text, using highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others) ○ Meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones) ○ Bulleted lists ○ One idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph) ○ The inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion ○ Half the word count (or less) than conventional writing

How do users read web content? ● Credibility is important for Web users, since it is unclear who is behind information on the Web and whether a page can be trusted. Credibility can be increased by: ○ High-quality graphics ○ Good writing ○ Use of outbound hypertext links. Links to other sites show that the authors have done their homework and are not afraid to let readers visit other sites.

So how should you write web content? Research on how users read on the Web and how authors should write their Web pages: ● F-shaped pattern for reading web content, as seen in eyetracking studies. ● Low-literacy users exhibit different behaviors. ● Teenagers on the Web: poor reading skills and low patience levels mean that text has to be ultra-concise for teens and that more information must be communicated in images. ● Microcontent: writing headlines, page titles ● How to write inverted pyramids in cyberspace.

The F-shaped pattern ● Eyetracking visualizations show that users often read Web pages in an F-shaped pattern: two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe. ● F for fast. That's how users read content. In a few seconds, their eyes move at amazing speeds across website’s words in a pattern that's very different from what you learned in school. ● This dominant reading pattern looks somewhat like an F. (See www.yahoo.com layout)

Implications of the F-pattern ● Users won't read text thoroughly in a word-by-word manner. Exhaustive reading is rare, especially when readers are conducting their initial research to compile a shortlist of news. Yes, some people will read more, but most won't. ● The first two paragraphs must state the most important information. There's some hope that users will actually read this material, though they'll probably read more of the first paragraph than the second. ● Start subheads, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-behavior. They'll read the third word on a

Microcontent ● Microcontent – online headlines. These can be part of a list of articles, an email program’s list of incoming subject messages, a search engine hitlist, etc. ● Use only 40-60 characters for macrocontent. Unless the title or subject make it absolutely clear what the page or email is about, users will never open it. (see www.nytimes.com, www.up.edu.ph and pcij.org)

Guidelines for microcontent ● The headline text has to stand on its own and make sense when the rest of the content is not available. ● Clearly explain what the article is about in terms that relate to the user. Microcontent should be an ultra-short abstract of its associated macrocontent.

The inverted pyramid ● Journalists use the inverted pyramid, useful for newspapers because readers can stop at any time and will still get the most important parts of the article. ● On the Web, the inverted pyramid becomes even more important since users don't scroll, so they will very frequently be left to read only the top part of an article. Very interested readers will scroll, and these few motivated souls will reach the foundation of the pyramid and get the full story in all its gory detail.

● Journalism on the Web is definitely different from print journalism. Online newspapers allow articles to remain available online for years. This means that writers can link to old articles instead of having to summarize background information in every article. Also, it is possible to link to full background materials. ● In other words, the Web is a linking medium. ● Web writers should split their writing into smaller, coherent pieces to avoid long scrolling pages.

The importance of hyperlinks ● Hyperlinks are the words, phrases and graphic objects on which a reader can mouse-click to see more information or explore related sites. ● A report on harsh weather that's expected in your area, for example, could contain a reference to “storms." ● The interested reader could click on that term and jump almost instantly to another Web page giving tips on what to do when a tornado strikes.

Web journalism ● Web journalism is developing a different "flavor" from print journalism. ○ There is more latitude to express yourself ○ You are edited less. ○ You write for an international audience.

● Interactivity is the buzzword most commonly associated with the Internet. It is what makes the Internet different from standard broadcast journalism as well as from print and any other form of mass communication that has come before the Net. ● With Web technology, viewers, listeners and readers can communicate with you in nearly real time. ● The long-term impact of interactivity on news is unclear, but interactive forums are popping up in more and more Internet sites.

● The interactivity made possible by the Net allows you to come closest to the communicator's ideal of addressing everyone individually. ● All of a sudden, your visitors can ask you questions, register their opinions and take part in discussions. ● In addition, when you make the Web equivalent of a typographical or factual error, they can and will let you know about it, quickly. (See www.inquirer.net)