Introduction…

Writing Web Copy for Maximum Readability a.k.a. Don’t Put Your Readers to Sleep

When you write for the web you are writing for people who are

traveling 75 miles per hour in need of immediate information.

They skim, they scan, they are not looking for fluff.

Web readers are mission minded. They devour content.

If you are going to hold the attention of web readers, you’ll

need to follow this formula we’ve laid out for you…

Before You Write

Before typing that first word, have clearly defined goals.

Without goals, you will ramble, wander, and quite

possibly fill your web content with unnecessary fluff.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Why am I writing this? What am I trying to accomplish?

• Am I teaching a skill, selling a product, providing useful information?

• What will my reader come away with in the end?

Once your goal is defined:

• Write clear, concise and compelling content. This is a NO FLUFF ZONE.

• Your headline should get readers to your first sentence. Your first sentence should bring readers to the second sentence. If this sounds elementary, it is. Think about it this way: Nobody wants to theorize on how to start the car. All they want to do is drive.

Visual Elements

For maximum readability, there are a few graphic

and visual elements you will want to consider, even

before you begin creating your content.

• Hierarchy

• Contrast

• White Space

Hierarchy

• Hierarchy defines how to read through content. Every typographic layout needs proper hierarchy. It leads the reader from start to finish with elements such as Headers, Sub-headers, and Bullet Points to increase the reader’s ability to quickly scan through and understand the content.

• Hierarchy is a vital technique that needs to be mastered to achieve readable web content.

• With proper hierarchy, the content will flow effortlessly.

Contrast

Contrast is a vital element in the immediate

readability of text. Crisp contrasts will make text

easy to scan and easy on the eyes.

• Black on white is very readable and obviously the

standard contrast colors. In order to achieve

maximum readability, it is best to stay in the

range of black-on-white contrast.

• A splash of a strong color can also be used to draw attention to a certain element or section of content.

White Space & Consistency

Content-heavy?

The general rule for a blog post or web article is 500 words or less. If you

have anything to do with the overall layout, spacing will contribute to the

readability factor.

White space offsets large amounts of text and provides separation between

elements in the layout, such as graphics and text.

Consistency is achieved by using the same colors, sizes of sub-headings, and

creating a uniform, appealing look.

Using Bullet Points

Because Web readers like to scan, extracting bullets out of compound

sentences will help you drive home a point while also increasing the usability

of your content. Online attention spans are almost non-existent and reading

wordy paragraphs on a computer screen is not as easy as in print.

• Keep points in parallel by beginning each bullet with the same part of speech.

• Maintain the same grammatical form for each bullet point.

Organize With Sub-headers

This is a Sub-header

The average web visitor will only read 28% of what

is on your page. Help them get the most out of the

content by using sub-headers.

Sub-headers allow the user to disseminate a page of content

visually. They divide the page into manageable sections and

declare what each section is about. This is important to those

scanning the page (your average web reader).

Sub-headers also create a visual flow that allows users to move

their eyes easily across the content.

Write With Authority & Value

Writing with authority will build reader trust and work in your advantage.

Do the following whenever possible:

• Never guess. A well researched article is your

ticket to success.

• Provide links from trusted sources

• Go the extra mile. If you can’t find information on

the web, interview an expert in the field.

• Don’t regurgitate the same old content that is

already found online. Ask yourself, “What NEW

and VALUABLE information can I bring to the table?”

SEO: Getting Found

Writing the best, most compelling web copy in the world won’t do you a bit of

good if no one can find your content.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) SEO Involves the skill of writing so the search engines can find you.

This is an entire teaching in itself, but one

element of SEO you can implement

immediately is the use of keywords.

SEO: Keywords are King

There are plenty of online tools available that provide the best keywords

and keyword phrases for any business or industry website.

Keywords are used in the content of web copy in order to validate the exact

subject matter of the website. Choosing the right keywords is key to being

found online.

Data available from Google Adwords will allow you to look up certain

keyword phrases to see how popular they are. With the click of a button you

will find out how many people are

searching your keywords. You’ll also

receive a list of comparable phrases that

you may want to use in your web content.

Connections

After all the other elements are taken care of, the most vital part of writing web copy for maximum readability is to connect with your reader in some real way.

Relationships are built on trust. Trust is built throughconnections.

Be yourself when you are writing web copy. Draw from authoritative sources AND yourown personal experiences.

Add a dash of humor, tell a story. Do what it takes to connect. If your readers feel a connection to you, you are well on yourway to success.