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| At ETNL Designs we believe that elegantly written content in simple language with the right flow delivered in an easy-to-understand language with the appropriate "punch" goes a long way in ensuring not only the readability of a web site but also its effectiveness, reach and online traffic attraction.
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| Writing for the web is very different to writing for printed matter. We tend to scan content on the web hunting for the information we're after, as opposed to reading word-for-word. These are the general guidelines ETNL writers adhere to when writing copy websites: |
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Use clear and simple language
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Reading from computer screens is tiring for the eyes and about 25% slower than reading from printed matter. Hence, the easier the style of writing the easier it is for site visitors to absorb the content. Some techniques for using clear and simple language include avoiding slang or jargon, using shorter words where possible, avoiding complex sentence structures and using active ahead of passive words. |
| Limit each paragraph to one idea |
Assign just one idea to each paragraph so that site visitors can:
- Easily scan through each paragraph
- Get the general gist of what the paragraph is about
- Then move on to the next paragraph
Visitors can do all this without the fear of having skipped over important information, because they will already know roughly what the paragraph is about. Limiting each paragraph to just one idea is especially effective when combined with front-loading paragraph content. |
| Front-load content |
Front-loading content is putting the conclusion first, followed by the what, how, where, when and why. The first line of each paragraph should contain the conclusion for that paragraph, so site visitors can:
- Quickly scan through the opening sentence
- Instantly understand what the paragraph is about
- Decide if they want to read the rest of the paragraph or not
Front-loading also applies to web pages, as well as paragraphs. The opening paragraph on every page should always contain the conclusion of that page. This way, site visitors can instantly gain an understanding of what the page is about and decide whether they want to read the page or not. |
| Descriptive sub-headings |
Breaking up text with descriptive sub-headings allows site visitors to easily see what each section of the page is about. The main heading on the page provides a brief overall view of what the page is about, and the opening paragraph gives a brief conclusion of the page (because you've front-loaded the page content). Within the page though, there are various sub-themes which can be quickly put across with sub-headings. |
| Bolden important words |
Boldening important words help users locate information quickly and easily. When site visitors scan through the screen this text stands out to them, so do make sure the text makes sense out of context. On seeing these boldened words site visitors can instantly gain an understanding of what the paragraph is about and decide whether or not they want to read it. |
| Descriptive link text |
In the same way that bold text stands out to screen-scanning web users, so does link text. Link text such as "click here" makes no sense whatsoever out of context and so is useless to site visitors scanning web pages. However, succinct usage of link text helps visitors get their information quicker. |
| Listing & Left alignment of text |
Lists are preferable to long paragraphs because they:
- Allow users to read the information vertically rather than horizontally
- Are easier to scan
- Are less intimidating
- Are usually more succinct
Left-aligned text is easier to read than justified text, which in turn is easier to read than centre- or right-aligned text. When reading through justified text the spacing between each word is different leading our eyes to search for the next word. This slows down reading speed. Right- and centre-aligned paragraphs slow down reading speed even more because each time you finish reading one line your eye has to search for the beginning of the next line. |
ETNL's teams of talented, dedicated and experienced professional content writers after taking stock of the client's specific requirements, work closely with our design team in providing best-in-class content tailored to maximize search engine optimization (SEO) and thereby generate greater online visits to the site. |
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