For Writers on the Web
I recently read a post on how little users read a lot of copy on the web (per site) and it’s really cool/important information. It still blows my mind how many writers (on the web) there are that don’t understand this.
On the average Web page, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely.
There is also an interesting chart that shows the average amount of time users spend on a site based on the word count. Very fascinating, yet scary at the same time because if it’s your site, you have to wonder if you’re getting users the information they need, quickly.
Two tips I have when you’re writing for the web. One being to think like your user. Read your own copy and think if you’re conveying the right information. If it’s fluff copy and/or marketing talk, remove it. Users know what is fluff, and what is relevant to them. Second tip, get to the point, and fast. Be clear and concise. If your copy isn’t to the point, your user might not read it……then why have it there?
It is a must to know how to write for the web. If you haven’t been trained, then learn how to, it’s really not that tough. And study how users are actually using your site.
Update: Andy Rutledge has a different take on the article linked above. He raises good points as well. My opinions remain the same. You still need to know how to write for the web, designing that copy is a different issue.