Writing articles or news blogs for an internet audience requires a very different style to writing print copy. This is primarily due to your audience reading online articles in a different way to when they read printed articles.
Modern laptop, tablet and mobile phone screens are constantly improving. Nevertheless, the problems of screen glare and reading on small screens cannot be ignored and has a direct impact on how people read online. It is generally accepted that people take 25% longer to read a screen than they do hard print.
In addition, it is acknowledged that internet users have poor attention spans. It has been calculated, for example, that 17% of web page views last less than four seconds. Your article must capture your audience immediately and not let go until your message has got across.
When reading an online article people are often searching for something specific. This means that you must include the key words and subjects that they are looking for.
To summarise, these are some key aspects to bear in mind when writing for the web:
• Know what you want to say and say it clearly and concisely
• Identify your audience and what they want to know
• Give them clear pointers by way of key words and phrases
• Make the structure of your writing easy to read – use short sentences and paragraphs, break up blocks of writing with bullet points, include sub-headings etc
• Grab your audience’s attention with a catchy headline and opening sentence
Dynamic Sales Solutions are Gloucestershire’s marketing experts and can offer advice and help with all your marketing needs. Contact us for an informal discussion on 01452 534860 or visit our website dynamicsalessolutions.co.uk for advice.