Writing for the web

This article will help you to write for the web. Writing for the web is important because our reading habits are different when we read online. We often need to find information quickly so we scan and skim content whereas when we read print, we tend to take our time.

The main differences between reading on the web and in print:

A guide to good content

Knowing the main differences between reading online and in print allows us to adapt the way we write so that our content meets our users' needs. 

Good online content is:

• useful,
• accurate,
• interesting and engaging,
• short and simple,
• findable.
  
  

A simple checklist for writing great content

If you structure your web content in a way that makes it easy to scan, your readers are more likely to get the information that they need.

Use this checklist to make sure your content is written for easy online reading:

• Use plain English - there's nothing worse than having to reach for the dictionary when you're reading an article online. Use the words your readers would use and aim for a reading age of 
• Put the important information first
• Chunk your content
• Make your headlines and subheadings clear
• Keep sentences and paragraphs short
• Use bulletted and numbered lists
• Use pronouns
• Use the active voice
• Include images, diagrams and other media
• Leave plenty of white space

Good housekeeping

But there's more to great content than just writing it. To make sure your content stays relevant and serves its purpose you should perform regular checks for accuracy and relevance. And you should also check how your content is performing.