by Samrat Man Singh

Created on: February 13, 2010

Writing for the Web is quite different from writing for print. However, with these few tips you could win more long-term readers and their respect. These practices should be always kept in mind, both by novice and expert writers, in order to create good online articles. The practices to make your online articles effective in its purpose are listed below:

1. Create eye-friendly content:

Research has shown that most people do not read content on screen the same way as they do on paper. Instead of reading top-down, online readers just skim through the article. So, make your sentences and paragraphs shorter. Divide the text into chunks instead of writing a long paragraph. Also use formatting like lists to make the article look more organized.

2. Be concise:

While writing for the web, always make sure that you write to the point. Don’t make your writing fluffy with all the unnecessary information. When it comes to reading online, readers like concise articles with the necessary information.

3. Recognize your audience:

Find out who’s going to read your article. Is it going to be read by a coworker or by a teen? Your writing style should suit your targeted audience. When published on the Internet, virtually everyone can find your content, so be careful in recognizing the targeted audience.

4. Use the active voice:

It is generally recommended that you use the active voice while writing for the web.

5. Maintain factual accuracy:

Make sure that the facts included in your article are accurate. Factual accuracy maintains the reputation of the writer. This is a tip that should be practiced while writng for print too.

6. Connect with your audience:

Don’t just throw information at your reader. Make an emotional link with your reader through words. This helps because readers tend to get bored if an article doesn’t touch them.

7. Use illustrations where possible:

“A picture speaks a thousand words”. By inserting a relevant illustration or even a video, you can increase the interest of the reader significantly. Your writing will be then considered more interesting by the reader. 

By putting these practices to use one can enhance the quality of his/her online writings significantly. He/she can also get more readers to read their articles. Moreover, by better online writing one will be able to gain the trust of the mass public. In today’s world learning to write effective articles for the web is a must for all professionals.  

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