Writing for Web 2.0 – Best Practices
Posted on October 25, 2007
Category Best Practices, Web 2.0 | 4 Comments
Previously I mentioned using best practices for writing in the Web 2.0 world, and in many ways these are these have not changed since the earliest days on online focused writing. But I think it’s a good idea to review a few of those “on-line writing guidelines” as there are some specific issues that should be kept in mind when writing for a Web 2.0 aware audience.
You need to be immediate, direct and use the active voice, all of which are hallmarks of good “online” focused writing. But in addition, you need to keep in mind that the user is looking for information, and will in many cases expect to be able to ask questions if they don’t get the answer they want, of if they think that the answer is incomplete or incorrect.
Also, due to the wonder of RSS and informal mashups, your content may not always appear in the context you originally wrote them for.
So how do you meet the needs of your users? Remember that you are writing for an ‘online’ audience, so:
- Make the writing easy to scan
A lot of testing has been done on how long it takes for the average web surfer to decide if they are going to “bother” to read a web page, or just click away. The actual numbers vary, but are in the range of three to five seconds. It’s your job to present information in such a way that you can get the attention of your reader, and let them know that this is where to find the information they’re looking for – or not as the case may be.
- Keep the information succinct
As noted above, people spend a remarkably small amount of time looking at a webpage to find information. Once they have made the decision to actually stay on the page, you owe it to them to make the information easy to read, so they can extract the correct information as easily as possible.
- Avoid the passive voice, use the active voice instead
This is one of those guidelines that really hasn’t changed in years, the only difference is that it’s probably more important than ever. Younger users typically have an even shorter attention span than older users, so getting to the point immediately is key.
- Give it some context
If your information may be distributed via an RSS or similar feed, remember that there must be sufficient context to be understandable when not viewed in its original location.
- Provide good titles for both the whole page, and any sub-sections on the page
What’s a “good title”? In most cases a descriptive title fits the bill. If a descriptive title is used, it’s much easier for the reader to find the information they are looking for, especially if the information is being viewed out of context. Also, descriptive titles make it easier for web search engines to relate the title to the content on the page, thereby making it more likely that the search engine will “serve” a link to your information on its results page.
- Provide “overviews” so your readers can orient themselves
It’s usually good practice to provide an overview, especially if you’re dealing with a complex topic, or one that shares content with another similar topic. It helps the reader decide if they should continue, or if they need to try another avenue.
- Provide methods of interaction that are appropriate to the type of information you are presenting
There’s a lot of talk about Web 2.0 tools about, but you have to keep things in perspective. Blogs, wikis, forums, standard web pages, 3D virtual worlds, etc. each have their own strengths and weaknesses – and their own methods of providing interaction with the reader. Don’t use a particular type of tool, or even a particular version of a tool just because it’s available, or its one you’re familiar with. Think it through and use the best tool for the job.
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I am always very puzzled by the one about ‘make the writing easy to scan’. I know why it is important, but I keep on wondering what good practices are to manage to do so. Using bold font to highlight some sentences? Providing reader with a short version of the article ? Quoting main ideas and displaying then in a prominent way ? Anything else ?
Hi Raphaele,
I hope you don’t mind, but instead of answering here (as I was planning on doing), I’ve spun my comment off as a new post dedicated to “making the writing easier to scan”.
Raphaele -
Go here: http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/
You’ll find a bevy of items that gets to that very point (not to divert you from the Rockley Blog, of course).
Many of the Web 1.0 rules still apply.
Research Repository…
Online Articles # UC Berkeley scholars shed light on kids’ use of Web 2.0 tools…