Treefrog Interactive Inc.

Writing for the Web: Signal vs. Noise

A few tips to improve your web writing so that your message
gets across, quickly and effectively.

 

Most people don't really read when they're surfing the Web. They browse. They scan. They look for keywords. They like headings. They're apt to ignore long, rambling text.

 

In fact, you're probably scanning right now, aren't you? It's okay. You're just proving our point.

 

A few tips can help improve your web writing so that your message gets across, quickly and effectively. Two key elements are:

 

Target Audience The content has to be meaty and relevant to the end-person.

 

Signal-to-Noise Ratio The message (signal) has to get through everything else (noise).

 

 

Know Your Audience

Who do you want visiting your website? Tailor your content to them. Sure, everyone is unique (just like everyone else), but there are some general guidelines to follow. A good starting point is to consider age group:

 

Traditionalists (aged 64+) – Write as an authority in your field – they want to feel they're getting information they can trust from an expert.

 

Baby Boomers (44-64) – Treat the reader like they're an equal, build a rapport.

Generation X (28-44) – Give them facts, and add a dash of dry, edgy humour (take a hint from the Frogs' writing style).

 

Generation Y (28 or under) – They tend to believe that all content is written explicitly for them. Write with that in mind, and you'll do okay.

 

 

Keywords Are Key

Keywords are words or phrases that people use in search engines to find sites like yours. Determine a short list of keywords (about five to 10). Now set them aside until you've finished writing.

With a completed first draft, go back through your pages and look for ways to include the keywords.You'll probably find if you've done it naturally. Focus on one primary keyword per page, tucking it in about once or twice per 100 words.

 

 

Size Does Matter

Traditionally, newspapers and magazines only allow so much space for any article. On the web, you're only limited by server space. It's no problem to publish that 10,000-word epic on the importance of your latest cuticle clipper, but don't expect anyone other than yourself (and maybe your mother) to read it.

A good rule of thumb for web writing is to keep the piece between 200 and 500 words. Be succinct. Get to the point. In fact, have a point.

 

 

Number One with a Bullet

People like lists. If they're good enough for Johnny Carson (or any number of other talk show hosts), they're good enough for you.

Bulleted lists break text up and offer information in bite-sized chunks. They're easily digestable; and they look good too.

 

 

And Now in Bold Italics...

Like lists, headings are important. They break text up and help guide users to information they seek. It's difficult to scan through a large amount of text with no headings, and so some readers simply aren't going to bother.

 

 

Attribute Your Sources

The World Wide Web may be the frontier in communication, but that doesn't mean it's the Wild West when it comes to intellectual property. Yes, a good rule of thumb is don't put anything on the web that you wouldn't give away for free, but a lot of  lawsuits could be avoided by asking permission or by quoting and attributing the source of the text (and also linking back to the original document).

 

 

Final Thoughts on Writing for the Web

Although we've provided a lot of rules and guidelines to follow for web writing, don't let it scare you. The key thing to remember is that people are visiting your website to get information. If they don't get it, they'll move on. If they do get it, they'd prefer it to be to the point and easily found.

Think of it like broadcast news. Viewers love soundbytes. Give 'em to them.