Reflect 3 Focal Points in your Web Write-Ups
For the multitude of writers taking to Web writing, due consideration has to be given to the differing perceptions and expectations of the Internet Audience. Writing for the Internet is different from traditional publishing formats in the below three essential ways and It is important to consider each difference while writing to achieve the pinnacle of success.
~ Audience: Audience is a primary consideration for an Internet writer. The writer has to gauge the mood and desires of his audience and then cater to their expectations while also meeting his own expectations. A slow buildup to the topic is generally unsuccessful. In this age, where the attention span of an Internet audience is very low, a writer who cuts to the chase quickly more often than not tastes the fruit of success.
~ Format: When your primary audience is a throng of online readers, effort should be spent on eye-catching phrases and titles which grab the attention of the reader. The writing should be concise and accurate with a perceptive conclusion. The article should be constructed in such a way that it seems to be a collection of standalone jigsaw puzzle pieces which when assembled, blend into a powerful work of literature. This structure also aids the search engines which scan for key words in an article. An interested online reader can so be persuaded into reading the whole article.
~ Lifespan: Print publications will be current only for the day or for a week and then gets stacked away and sold. Hence, they are short lived and cannot be retrieved when desired. But, online publications are archived for years and with the help of search engines can be retrieved as and when desired. A writer always has to be fresh and current and his writing must reflect the same.
Practice the above 3 focal points; attain the pinnacle of success in your web writing endeavors.
A few more pricey tricks for writing properly for the web:
It's versus Its
This is a very common mistake that a lot of people make. It's is short for "it is", so "it's all relative" is correct while "it's color is blue" is not. "Its" is a term of possession, so "its color is blue" is correct.
Overuse of punctuation
Excess punctuation should be left out of most sentences on the web. If a reader sees a sentence with more than one comma, the sentence becomes harder to scan and therefore more likely to turn a reader off. More advanced punctuation such as semi-colons and colons should be avoided completely by starting new sentences instead.
Once Space after a period
This is something I struggle with daily. It was drilled into my head, especially during University, that two spaces after a period were needed. The convention for web writing is now one space after a period. This is something that the owner of this blog gently pointed out to me, and I researched it extensively before implementing it. He was completely right.
Keep Sentences Short
While this was covered in the section on punctuation, it is important enough that it needs its own heading. A sentence should never be longer than a line. If you need to list something, do it with bullet points or an attractive graphic rather than producing a long sentence.
Their, There, They're
Their: Is a term used to illustrate possession, such as "their mitts were soaking wet". There: Indicates the whereabouts of something, such as "the statue is located there". They're: This is a contraction of "they are". "They're going to the beach today."
Weasel Words
These are vague generalizations that are made for the convenience of the writer, not the audience. If a writer is rushed for time, they may write something like "most people feel that juice is 100% tasty". The proper procedure is to find out the statistics and facts and work those into the sentence. The correct form would be "60% of people feel that juice is 100% tasty, while only 5% feel that it is only 10% tasty". Web readers are reading your site to get information, not opinions.
Apostrophe use
When you are considering whether or not to use an apostrophe, look at your demographic.
Is it a blog like this one that would benefit from a more casual style? Is it a website for a financial adviser? The web is usually home to a more conversational style, but where you feel the context is more professional, don't use the apostrophe.
Words to avoid: Just and regardless
"Just" can end up insulting your reader by implying that an action is easier than it actually is.
Look at the difference between these two sentences: "She says that I should just learn the French language." "She says that I should learn the French language.
~ Audience: Audience is a primary consideration for an Internet writer. The writer has to gauge the mood and desires of his audience and then cater to their expectations while also meeting his own expectations. A slow buildup to the topic is generally unsuccessful. In this age, where the attention span of an Internet audience is very low, a writer who cuts to the chase quickly more often than not tastes the fruit of success.
~ Format: When your primary audience is a throng of online readers, effort should be spent on eye-catching phrases and titles which grab the attention of the reader. The writing should be concise and accurate with a perceptive conclusion. The article should be constructed in such a way that it seems to be a collection of standalone jigsaw puzzle pieces which when assembled, blend into a powerful work of literature. This structure also aids the search engines which scan for key words in an article. An interested online reader can so be persuaded into reading the whole article.
~ Lifespan: Print publications will be current only for the day or for a week and then gets stacked away and sold. Hence, they are short lived and cannot be retrieved when desired. But, online publications are archived for years and with the help of search engines can be retrieved as and when desired. A writer always has to be fresh and current and his writing must reflect the same.
Practice the above 3 focal points; attain the pinnacle of success in your web writing endeavors.
A few more pricey tricks for writing properly for the web:
It's versus Its
This is a very common mistake that a lot of people make. It's is short for "it is", so "it's all relative" is correct while "it's color is blue" is not. "Its" is a term of possession, so "its color is blue" is correct.
Overuse of punctuation
Excess punctuation should be left out of most sentences on the web. If a reader sees a sentence with more than one comma, the sentence becomes harder to scan and therefore more likely to turn a reader off. More advanced punctuation such as semi-colons and colons should be avoided completely by starting new sentences instead.
Once Space after a period
This is something I struggle with daily. It was drilled into my head, especially during University, that two spaces after a period were needed. The convention for web writing is now one space after a period. This is something that the owner of this blog gently pointed out to me, and I researched it extensively before implementing it. He was completely right.
Keep Sentences Short
While this was covered in the section on punctuation, it is important enough that it needs its own heading. A sentence should never be longer than a line. If you need to list something, do it with bullet points or an attractive graphic rather than producing a long sentence.
Their, There, They're
Their: Is a term used to illustrate possession, such as "their mitts were soaking wet". There: Indicates the whereabouts of something, such as "the statue is located there". They're: This is a contraction of "they are". "They're going to the beach today."
Weasel Words
These are vague generalizations that are made for the convenience of the writer, not the audience. If a writer is rushed for time, they may write something like "most people feel that juice is 100% tasty". The proper procedure is to find out the statistics and facts and work those into the sentence. The correct form would be "60% of people feel that juice is 100% tasty, while only 5% feel that it is only 10% tasty". Web readers are reading your site to get information, not opinions.
Apostrophe use
When you are considering whether or not to use an apostrophe, look at your demographic.
Is it a blog like this one that would benefit from a more casual style? Is it a website for a financial adviser? The web is usually home to a more conversational style, but where you feel the context is more professional, don't use the apostrophe.
Words to avoid: Just and regardless
"Just" can end up insulting your reader by implying that an action is easier than it actually is.
Look at the difference between these two sentences: "She says that I should just learn the French language." "She says that I should learn the French language.
