Tips to help you succeed in your web writing
I’m really not much of a writer. I have the technical part pretty much down, i.e., spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., but when it comes to being creative — nothing! There is a lot of free stuff out there — and I mean truly free — which is better than having to pay thousands of dollars. If you are like me without a creative writing bone in your body, there are articles written by those that do have them. These can be found on such sites as EzineArticles.com.
Use word processing software
Since this articles is about writing, however, and not publishing other’s work, let me remind you to use that word processor on your PC to its fullest extent. All of the really good ones provide tools to check spelling, grammar and punctuation. If you don’t have one of these good ones, I suggest that you check out OpenOffice.org for their free software suite.
Keep content concise
Many people find it difficult to read from a screen rather than paper. They also seem to have a much shorter attention span. For this reason, keep your articles between 300 and 600 words. If it is longer, break up the article into multiple pages. Use bulleted and numbered lists as well as subheadings to make it easier to scan your content. See more in Limiting Your Content.
“Business casual” applies to content, too
Just as dressing in the business world has become more casual — who wears a suit or dress to work anymore — content has moved away from the formal formatting and tone most of us learned in English class. While it is still important to use proper grammar and spelling, write for the web as if you were in the same room as your reader, meeting face-to-face.
Stick to a theme
Strive for consistency throughout your website by using the same fonts for body copy and headings. Make sure that your headings also are consistent in their use of color.
Web writing courses
If you are really struggling with what to write and how to write it, sign up for a web writing course (known as “Copywriting “). Here are a few options:
You should also study the work of other copywriters (see List of copywriters), specifically those who have received recognition for their work.
Lisa has been involved with the Internet since 1995. Lisa's first web sites were developed in 1996 (fintrend.com and intergalacticwebs.com). Besides designing websites, she has also done some programming, project management and the webmaster for a large corporation. Lisa loves to teach and has been privileged to teach hundreds of students across the US and even at a conference in the Dominican Republic. She has been interviewed by the Richmond Times Dispatch as well as several Southern Baptist State Convention publications. Lisa loves to travel and learn new technologies. She hopes to one day live overseas. Her hobbies include singing, reading, gardening, cooking/baking, and playing the flute.
