PlexiHosting
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As avid surfers of the fine World Wide Web, how would you describe your reading style?
"Reading style?" you ask? Yes, reading style. Are you someone who spends quality time with each and every web page of interest and takes in the words like a good novel? Or are you a "scanner" - one who scans over the page looking for interesting tidbits and/or allowing yourself to be grabbed by scintillating content?
I take it most of you chose the latter - scanner. Personally, this is the way I read the web. Company in this methodology is most certainly not lacking! Most people tend to scan web pages like they are reading a newspaper (or with even less attention to details!) as opposed to reading them like a book. This is natural, part of adapting to the medium.
OK - so now you ask why this is titled "Writing for the Web" instead of "Reading the Web". The answer to that should be obvious - the point is to query how people are writing to their web audience and, in the case of those who are attempting to write the next Great Expectations, convince them to perhaps modify their style to get their copy read.
Many people land on your web site from search engine results or a link with some context (perhaps the link in your signature or profile here?), so they have an idea about why they are there. This is great, as you aren't trying to educate random "walk-ins" as if they were just coming in from off the street. Now that they are there, somewhat predisposed to what they will be seeing on your site, you can really pitch to them (if you are selling something). If you have a product to sell, it is better to wow them with some hard-hitting bullet points about key features, benefits, and differentiators (how your offering is different - and better - than your competitor's). If the same content is presented inside a huge, five-paragraph explanation, do you think it is likely to have as much impact?
Hosting companies have some advantages here though. Typically, you feature a plan or set of plans on your home page. The rest of the content around that is educational, eye candy, or support (which can be a little more wordy). The package features tend to lend themselves to the bullet point approach since you really are looking to point out your key features in a non-wordy fashion. Most hosts do this, as it seems to be part of the typical design philosophy around hosting sites. One of the typical design philosophies I like around the industry
But how does this help me create those lush, keyword/phrase-dense optimized pages to push me to the top of search engines? Well, I think that removing a lot of the fluff and concentrating on the words and phrases you would have within a sea of other text could actually help. Repetition helps get the idea across to the actual human sitting across from the monitor. It is a good idea to also remember the human being that is the user, as well as the great almighty search engine that helped get them there.
Grammar is king. Spelling is queen. Not being a stickler to the king is not always a bad thing. Bad grammar is just that - bad. However, talking conversationally rather than as if you were in Literature 101 or in a Shakespearean drama, can be effective. This can be at the expense of breaking some obscure grammar rule, but it really doesn't matter if the reader likes it, gets it, buys your stuff. However, I'd shy away from the total abandonment of the English language (or whichever your site content happens to be). Also, always spell check. Always spell check. Always spell check.
Another, and luckily final, point is to talk to the visitor. Use "you" liberally. It works. This is more sales than writing but it spans both.
The last bit I have to say is that, if you got to the end of this, you are actually less of a scanner than you thought you were. I wait for the responses telling me how this article itself does not adhere to the tips contained within. It was on purpose. Some of the reasons behind this (and now I actually follow my own suggestion - FINALLY):
"Reading style?" you ask? Yes, reading style. Are you someone who spends quality time with each and every web page of interest and takes in the words like a good novel? Or are you a "scanner" - one who scans over the page looking for interesting tidbits and/or allowing yourself to be grabbed by scintillating content?
I take it most of you chose the latter - scanner. Personally, this is the way I read the web. Company in this methodology is most certainly not lacking! Most people tend to scan web pages like they are reading a newspaper (or with even less attention to details!) as opposed to reading them like a book. This is natural, part of adapting to the medium.
OK - so now you ask why this is titled "Writing for the Web" instead of "Reading the Web". The answer to that should be obvious - the point is to query how people are writing to their web audience and, in the case of those who are attempting to write the next Great Expectations, convince them to perhaps modify their style to get their copy read.
Many people land on your web site from search engine results or a link with some context (perhaps the link in your signature or profile here?), so they have an idea about why they are there. This is great, as you aren't trying to educate random "walk-ins" as if they were just coming in from off the street. Now that they are there, somewhat predisposed to what they will be seeing on your site, you can really pitch to them (if you are selling something). If you have a product to sell, it is better to wow them with some hard-hitting bullet points about key features, benefits, and differentiators (how your offering is different - and better - than your competitor's). If the same content is presented inside a huge, five-paragraph explanation, do you think it is likely to have as much impact?
Hosting companies have some advantages here though. Typically, you feature a plan or set of plans on your home page. The rest of the content around that is educational, eye candy, or support (which can be a little more wordy). The package features tend to lend themselves to the bullet point approach since you really are looking to point out your key features in a non-wordy fashion. Most hosts do this, as it seems to be part of the typical design philosophy around hosting sites. One of the typical design philosophies I like around the industry
But how does this help me create those lush, keyword/phrase-dense optimized pages to push me to the top of search engines? Well, I think that removing a lot of the fluff and concentrating on the words and phrases you would have within a sea of other text could actually help. Repetition helps get the idea across to the actual human sitting across from the monitor. It is a good idea to also remember the human being that is the user, as well as the great almighty search engine that helped get them there.
Grammar is king. Spelling is queen. Not being a stickler to the king is not always a bad thing. Bad grammar is just that - bad. However, talking conversationally rather than as if you were in Literature 101 or in a Shakespearean drama, can be effective. This can be at the expense of breaking some obscure grammar rule, but it really doesn't matter if the reader likes it, gets it, buys your stuff. However, I'd shy away from the total abandonment of the English language (or whichever your site content happens to be). Also, always spell check. Always spell check. Always spell check.
Another, and luckily final, point is to talk to the visitor. Use "you" liberally. It works. This is more sales than writing but it spans both.
The last bit I have to say is that, if you got to the end of this, you are actually less of a scanner than you thought you were. I wait for the responses telling me how this article itself does not adhere to the tips contained within. It was on purpose. Some of the reasons behind this (and now I actually follow my own suggestion - FINALLY):
- Someone can rewrite the article based on the suggestions within
- I could rewrite it as an example, too (nah, that would be too much work)
- I took liberty with the medium, calling it an "article" to get away with being too verbose
