Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Writing for the web. Linda Magee, Australian Consumers Association www.choice.com.au. Reading. People don’t read, they scan Reading from a monitor is 25% slower 30% less comprehension 78% of eye fixations drawn to text, 22% to graphics Typically hunt for info and ignore details. Writing. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Citation preview
Writing for the webWriting for the web
Linda Magee, Australian Consumers Association
www.choice.com.au
ReadingReading
People don’t read, they scanReading from a monitor is 25% slower30% less comprehension78% of eye fixations drawn to text, 22% to
graphicsTypically hunt for info and ignore details
WritingWriting
Cut the fluff – be clear and conciseInfo is shorter and chunkedThere is no sequenceInverse pyramidBullet points/listsMore conversational tone – one to oneInfo through visuals – tables, graphs, pics
Writing cont.Writing cont.
No cryptic headings Words have to work harder Short sentences - 15 words Use questions Active voice New thought, new para Hooks – top ten, most emailed, expert tips, quotes
Plain English/tonePlain English/tone
From this… There are a number of
important steps you need to take before commencing your business. This site provides information that you can read on-line or down-load that will assist you to start your business.
To this… Before you start your
business there’s some important steps you need to take. Here’s some information that’ll help – read it online, or download it to read later.
What’s scannable?What’s scannable?
Blurbs Headings and subheadings Bulleted/numbered lists, or steps Large type Short words Simple sentences – full stop is your friend Short paras TOCs Captions Graphics
Never use a long word when a Never use a long word when a short one will doshort one will do
Select Choose Locate Find Assist Help Demonstrate Show Utilise Use To ensure that So that Is best placed to Can You can find information on Find out
PersonalisePersonalise
What do they want to find out, not what do you want to say
Show personality – own your site‘You’, ‘we/us’, ‘your’Apostrophes – there’s, you’re, isn’t, can’t,
you’ve, you’d
Cereals for kids Cereals for kids The cereals aimed at kids, as well as the popular staples of rice bubbles/pops
and cornflakes, don’t fare too well. All the kids’ cereals except one have too much sugar and/or too little fibre to be
recommended for every day. The exception SANITARIUM Honey Weets: a moderate source of fibre and not too high in sugar. It’s worth giving this one a try if you’re having no luck with wheat biscuits or porridge, for instance.
Kids need less fibre than adults because it can make a small stomach full before it’s had a chance to get enough energy and other nutrients. Too much can also cause children to get stomach upsets and diarrhoea. As for sugar, 10 out of the 20 kids’ cereals have three or more teaspoons in a serve; another seven have two or more (see the table for details).
About the best that can be said of most kids’ cereals is that they’re better than no breakfast at all, and the vitamins and minerals as well as calcium from the milk are a bonus.
Apart from cereals for kids, most brands of cornflakes and rice bubbles are low in fibre and high in salt — not the best choice as anyone’s staple.
ACA’s go-live checklistACA’s go-live checklist
Do page titles make sense?Is page layout clean and simple?Are paras too long?Is there appropriate X marketing?Does the page stand alone?Date on every page?Quality graphics?
contcont
Quality graphics?Appropriate metatags?Does the intro work hard?Are there hooks into the report?Is there some rich content/interactivity?
