Writing Effectively for the Internet

• Formatting Your Text for the Internet
• Webpage Design Considerations
• Finishing Up

Why Write Differently for the Web Than for Print?

Computer monitors are harder on the eyes than paper. They are fairly low-resolution, so the words are not as sharp as they are on paper. Studies have shown that people read slower on the web, by about 25%.

Additionally, while the contrast between ink and paper is usually strong - and fairly predictable - monitor settings vary widely according to both personal preferences and the monitor itself. Differing brightness and contrast levels can greatly effect the legibility of your text.

One of the great things about the internet is the ease with which information can be found and accessed. Your readers are most likely looking for fast information. They want text they can read or scan quickly to find what they are looking for, so organization and readability are paramount.

Most folks find it fatiguing - or at least inconvenient - to read long articles online. Long paragraphs and long lines are problematic; long pages can seem overwhelming. While people will print them out, others will just leave the website in frustration.

Pages incuding lots of text may also take a long time to download. Research shows that people are likely to wait only a few seconds for a page to download before they move on.

You can optimize your reader's experience by writing, organizing and presenting your text for maximum effectiveness on the web.

Formatting Your Text for the Internet

Given the conditions noted above, some guidelines should be followed when writing or formatting text for publication on the internet.

• Write an engaging introduction which briefly summarizes your article.
• Keep your paragraphs short. Two or three sentences is usually sufficient.
• Keep your text short & to the point. Less is more.
• Don't indent the first line of each paragraph.
• Leave space after each paragraph to let the eye rest.
• Consider using lists (like this one!). They are easy to scan and read.
• Use italics sparingly. Italic text often looks jagged on a computer screen.
• Use dynamic words to keep your reader engaged. Be friendly and conversational.
• When writing, take care to natually use your website's keywords.
• Use headings and subheadings, to make information easy to locate.

Some Considerations For Designers

Before putting your words on the page, consider if the design of the page itself is optimal for displaying your text.

the dimensions of the webpage

Keep your margins wide. A line of text should be 10-12 words wide, on average. (Books are usually designed with about 12 words per line. The web demands about the same, or just a bit less.) Count how many words are in the first few lines of your text. If there are more than about a dozen, widen your margins so as to shorten the lines.

If your text is longer than about 1 or 2 printed pages, break it into separate webpages. It will be easier to read, and your pages will download faster. (Some folks still have dial-up connections; be kind to them!) And, very long pages of text can seem very overwhelming to a reader. (Just imagine if a novel were printed on one long page!) So, break it up a bit.

colors and contrast:

The text and background should be high contrast to each other. Black on white is high contrast. Lavendar on purple, yellow on red, or grey on white are not. If you're not sure if the contrast between your colors is dramatic enough, play with the contrast and brightness settings on your monitor. Does your text become hard to read at other settings? If so, you may need to rethink your choices.

Light text on a dark background doesn't work well for long passages of text, because, again, most folks find it difficult to read. Dark text on a light background is much better.

While white is a good background color, consider a slightly more muted shade. A shade that is barely off-white, or very pale is often a little easier on the eyes than bright white.

Avoid placing text over a background image, unless the image is very muted. Text on a busy background is difficult to read.

choosing fonts

The most common sans-serif font is Arial. (It's used throughout this website.) Other widely-used sans-serif fonts are Helvetica and Verdana.

The serif font, Times New Roman is the default font on many computers. However its letters are rather cramped and small. Georgia, is a serif font which was developed especially for easy readability on the web; it is favored by webdesigners.

Most computer are able to display the fonts listed above. If you choose some other font, however, be aware that some computers will not be able to display it. Instead, they'll display the computer's default font.

If you specify a font size on your webpages, make sure that it is at least 11 or 12 pixels high. While 10-pixel text looks very clean & modern, it is difficult for many people to read and may drive them away from your site.

headings and subheadings

• The heading "Writing Effectively for the Internet" at the top of this page is the main heading.
• The red headings, such as "Design Considerations" are subheadings.
• The small brown headings, such as the one immediately above, "heading tags," are further subheadings within topics.

link presentation

For example, instead of
Click here to buy Beat Generation books
use something like
Please browse our selection of Beat Generation books.

Finishing Up

Feel free to drop me a line with any comments or questions about this topic. You might also find some of our other articles about publishing on the web helpful.