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writing content
Writing for the web is very different
to writing for print. Time is of the essence to most
people using the Internet, so users don't want to read
reams of text on-line. Research* has shown that people
tend to scan text on screen. It also harder to read from
a computer screen than it is from paper.
- Less is more - keep it concise
- Keep sentence structure as simple as
possible
- Keep sentences short
- Frequently highlight important words or phrases
- Use bullet points or numbered lists where
possible
- Keep page length short - avoid too much vertical scrolling
- Use links to highlight and take the user to further
information
- Avoid using non-descriptive phrases like "click
here" - try and use a descriptive phrase for
the link
- Avoid using the <hr> (Horizontal Rule)
tag (Insert > Horizontal Rule in Dreamweaver) to separate
bodies of text
- Use plenty of headings, subheadings
and white space instead
- It looks better and is easier to read
- The <hr> tag is also deprecated
html
- Avoid centering text - it's harder to read
- Don't use all capitals - harder to read
- Avoid excessive italics - these are hard
to read - use them for emphasis only
- Keep content separate from style - use style
sheets and include
files
other resources
* How Users Read on the Web (Jakob Nielsen)
-- http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html
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