If this opening paragraph is all I read, would this tell me what the page was about?
When writing for the web, the recommendations are:
- Use short, simple sentences
- Keep paragraphs small
- Break long copy into sections with subheadings (Heading 2)
- Use point form where possible, and
- Use the inverted pyramid style (state your conclusion first)
Why?
People, generally, will not sit there and read your page word for word. Studies have shown that people will scan your page to see if anything interests them. Keeping that in mind, make sure your important bits are at the top, and make it easy to scan by using short paragraphs.
Use a blockquote every now and then if it makes sense to do so. Make sure that any keywords or keyphrases you would like to be found under are on the page as well. Bold them if appropriate.
Jason Foss
If people do get to the bottom of the page, give them some directions. For example, you could finish off with:
Where to from here?
What are the next actions someone should perform?
- Contact us
- Download something
- Sign up for our Newsletter
