Activate the passive voice on the web
Simple sentences — subject, verb, object — are easiest to read, online or off.
That’s why Jan H. Spyridakis, professor of Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington, suggests that you:
Web writing
World computer technical literacy 2013
16% of adults are technologically illiterate
Just 8% of adults around the world can manage conflicting requests to reserve a meeting room using a reservation system, then email people to let them know whether they got the room they requested.… Read the full article
Writing for the web examples: One Smart site
PetSmartCharities.org reaches readers online
More than 400,000 dogs and cats find homes each year through PetSmart Charities’ in-store adoption programs and events. In fact, the organization grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America.… Read the full article
Short web pages
4 ways to optimize long stories for phone reading
How long is too long for the mobile screen?
“Only the biggest/most complex stories should go above 600 words,” counsels the BBC in its guide to writing news for the mobile screen.… Read the full article
Focus your web copy
Make it relevant
Usability guru Jakob Nielsen recommends condensing copy by 50% online.
That’s certainly a useful guideline. But no single, overarching rule makes sense all the time.… Read the full article
Boost web page readability: Cut copy in half
Shorter web pages nearly 60% more usable
When usability guru Jakob Nielsen wanted to measure the effects of short web copy, he studied a web page about Nebraska.… Read the full article
How to write & design for iPads
Insights from Poynter’s EyeTrack study
Call it the bailout point.
People reading news on an iPad spent an average of 78.3 seconds on stories that they didn’t finish.… Read the full article
How to write short online headlines
Web heads must fit on mobile apps, more
Not everyone wants to play, “What’s the last word in the headline?” says Andy Bechtel, associate professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill.… Read the full article
How people read on the web
They don’t; so make web pages scannable
Here’s the title of one of usability expert Jakob Nielsen’s earliest articles on writing for the web[1]:
“How Users Read on the Web”
The first paragraph:
“They don’t.”
… Read the full articleMobile writing by the numbers | Slideshare
Reach smartphone users by understanding these stats
More than half of your audience members now visit your websites, engage with your social channels and pick up your emails via mobile devices.… Read the full article