Writing for the web: 9 things we’ve learned about writing effectively for your online audience

Research has revealed how people read online, and experience tells us how to write more effectively. 

We read differently online than we do on paper. This you may already know. But some of the statistics around how much – or rather, how little – we actually read online may come as a bit of a shock. 

According to the Nielsen Norman Group (NNG), a research-based, user experience consulting firm, the average visitor to a website only reads up to 28% of the words on the page. 20% is a more accurate figure, the NNG finds.

So, what does this say about how we read webpages, whether via desktop, mobile or another device?

How we read webpages

Most of us scan or skim webpages; we rarely read every word. Repeated studies carried out by the likes of NNG and others have deemed this to be the case. And why? Because when we’re searching for specific information online, or looking to achieve a particular goal, we want to do so as quickly as possible, and reading every word takes longer. 

That’s not to say that none of us read every word on a webpage – sometimes we do, it just depends on the goal we want to accomplish, the nature of the task, and how committed or motivated we are. For example, we’re more likely to read a piece of online content closely if we’re invested in the brand behind it. 

But as we spend increasing amounts of time online searching for information, it’s become more important that we find that information quickly and efficiently. This is basic human behaviour, and it’s reflected in our gaze patterns. 

When we search for information online, eyetracking studies reveal that we tend to adopt one of a handful of scanning patterns. The most common of these is the F-shaped pattern. This involves a visitor reading across the top line of the page before moving their eyes down the left-hand side of the page a little and reading across the page again. The visitor will then scan further down the left-hand side of the page, forming an F-shaped scanning pattern. 

Other scanning patterns are commonplace, including the layer-cake pattern. This involves jumping from one subheading to the next, only stopping to read the information within a section or subsection when its subheading interests us. 

To give our visitors the best chance of finding the information they need quickly and efficiently, we need to design webpages and craft copy in such a way that helps them do this. We need to direct them on their journey, telling them what to do and what action to take. 

So, how should you approach writing for the web and for your online audience?

Recommendations for writing effectively for your online audience

1.    Know your audience and think of your audience, not yourself 
The importance of understanding who your audience is and what motivates them is something we’ve discussed in the past on this blog. Your writing will be most effective if you know who you’re writing for (target/marketing persona) and where they are in the sales funnel. Write as your audience (persona) talks and adopt their tone. 

2.    Write in plain English
This means writing in a clear, simple and concise way, with your audience in mind. Doing so allows you to get your message across more quickly, and in a friendlier way. Use the simplest words to fit your audience. It’s not about ‘dumbing down’, it’s about making your message accessible and respecting your audience’s time (or lack of it). 

3.    Keep sentences short
A good average sentence length is 15 to 20 words. But mix things up to keep your audience guessing and engaged – use shorter sentences for added punch and longer ones where necessary. Follow the principle of sticking to one main idea per sentence. If you try to overload a sentence, its meaning can be lost. 

4.    Use active verbs and the active voice
Using the active is clearer and makes it easier for you to keep sentence length to a minimum. Passive verbs can make copy sound bureaucratic and long-winded, whether on a webpage or digital leaflet, or in a marketing email. The passive voice can be more appropriate if you need to take a softer tone, or make an instruction or remark sound less confrontational, but aim to use active verbs 80 – 90% of the time. 

5.    Avoid normalisations 
When you use a normalisation (a type of noun) in place of a verb, the sentence can sound stuffy, overly-long and dull. So instead of using the word ‘completion’ or ‘implementation’, use ‘complete’ or ‘implement’. 

6.    Signpost using subheadings 
Subheadings break up text and make it more consumable for online readers – whatever the device being used. Subheadings make it easier for online readers to grasp the story at a glance. As we mainly scan copy online, this is valuable. 

7.    Use lists where appropriate
Lists help to make copy more consumable and information more digestible. Combine numbered lists with bullet lists as appropriate. 

8.    Follow the inverted pyramid structure 
This means including the most important – and exciting – points in the opening paragraph. This approach is ideal for readers who scan or skim information online and will ensure your readers don’t miss key information.

9.    Take a breath test
Once you’ve written any piece of copy destined for the web, read it out loud. Do you have to take a breath mid-sentence? Are the sentences overly long or wordy? Expunge any peripheral detail. 

These are only recommendations – we don’t want to encourage rule-setting in this space. 

Your key takeaway? Whether you’re writing content for a landing page, search ad, blog or technical report, keep the language simple and clear to let your audience concentrate on your message. Complex language rarely engages a reader or compels them to take action.

If you need support to write engaging, audience-driven content for your B2B brand or agency, contact Copestone today.