X

Skim, Scan, Scroll – A Quick Guide to Web Writing

Can you imagine life without the Internet? And, have you ever tried to interpret how you get so much of information on a single click?

Of course, we all are thankful to search engines like Google and Yahoo for making life easier and satiating our information appetite. And also, many of us are undoubtedly interested in setting up our own web page, creating our own websites and writing blogs. But, rarely does anyone know how to get maximum hits on the piece of work.

While creating a website and writing a web page, the content plays a vital role besides flashy pictures, graphics and multimedia, and it is more importantly the text which helps the website get seen on search engines and hence, get number of hits.

With ‘skim, scan and scroll’ being the basic mantra of net surfing, a web reader hurriedly skims through the content, scans if he wants to read it and then scrolls the page. To make the content on a web page interesting and readable, a web writer needs to follow some basic fundamental principles.

Writing is an art, but writing for the web is a skill that you need to acquire. While writing a creative piece, you can take liberties on the language usage. But, at the time of writing a web page, you have to be specific, clear and simple in your style as you are writing for web readers who are generally impatient and get easily distracted if they don’t get the information they are looking for.

Chunking–dividing information into small and clear pieces, Search Engine Optimisation, ensuring that web pages are seen by search engines, and proper usage of keyword/s are few points that are kept in mind during web writing. However, if you are keen to spread your message across globe through your online journals and blogs, or if you want to go for international marketing of your product via corporate website, you need to be more specific and learn the skill of web writing…

Keeping in view the shortage of time and changing reading habits, almost every organisation is going online. And, due to this transition, there is a huge demand for web writers…If there is demand, there has to be enough supply, and keeping this in mind, educational institutions are arranging special courses and trainings on web writing…

‘A Quick Guide to Web Writing’ written by Jyotsna Atre, is meant for all those who want to be good web writer. Part of this World Wide Web, many companies emphasise on good web writing skill. ‘There is always a difference between an average stuff and a well-written stuff. Through flash, multimedia and hyperlinks, I can give a different look to my website, but the website would not get enough number of hits until it has good information in a readable format…

With so many big names foraying into the web world and such big fat salaries being offered, isn’t web writing a good career option?

Binay Srivastava: I am a feature writer on global affairs and work as an editor in a publishing house in New Delhi, India. I enjoy reading books and review those that interest me.
Related Post