Web viewers scan and read quickly, and you can lose them in the twinkling of an eye from boring and long, drawn-out text.  Due to this, writing for the web is not as structured and formal as writing for print publications. 

Traditional grammar and spelling rules have been loosened as web writers try to keep their viewers longer by using normal, everyday conversation language.  In their writings, they talk directly to the reader and make it personable with words like you, your, us, our.

On the other hand, viewers can lose trust in a company if their website does not appear professional or function properly.  The text should be well written and informative.  The words should be spelled correctly, and the sentences should be punctuated properly!

So, where’s the logical beginning?  In journalism, the first paragraph is a brief summary of what the reader can expect to find if they continue.  It can present leading questions to be answered by the article.  It can have “hooks” that grab the reader and entice them to discover the article’s full depth.  It can be descriptive and lay it out in one condensed statement.

Generally, when writing, you want to arrange your thoughts in fluid motions, leading the reader easily from concept A to concept B.  As you move them along in the understanding process, make sure you provide the needed info in the right sequence. 

For example, don’t give them info in concept R that would have helped them to understand concept B more fully.  In this digital world, word processors have made editing easy.  Use the cut and paste functions to reposition text for clarity and sequence.

Sometimes, you have to find “bridges” for two thoughts or facts that have common traits, but are different.  The bridges link the two together, and allow the writing piece to continue flowing in a somewhat different direction.

Write as if you are speaking!  And, if you get writer’s block, stand up and walk around, act like you’re giving a speech at a podium.  Standing up also serves the purpose of getting blood back into the brain after prolonged sitting.  Stimulate your brain by eating an apple or drinking some Ginseng tea or water.

For the web, it’s important to get straight to the point, editing and deleting unneeded words and prepositional
phrases.  Short and sweet is good; however, make sure you give the reader enough info to decide whether they can trust your business.  Online trust is a very important virtue.

A good website also incorporates and repeats “keywords or phrases” that search engines (SE’s) like Google, Yahoo and MSN use to find sites for search results.  These are words that web viewers type into SE's to find the sites that have what they want.

For example, some of the keywords for Pagosa Graphics Design, Inc. are:  design, graphic art, graphics design, website, website restructuring, digital, art, marketing, promotion, ad, logo, brochure, presentation, research, writing, Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

There’s a whole online industry that sells lists of keywords for your business type.  Some sites offer this service free.  But you know your business the best, and with a little brainstorming you can produce a representative list quickly.  Just imagine if you were the reader and wanted to find your product or service, what would you type into Google?

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