Writing for the web

Overview
This course looks at how people actually use the web and how you need to prepare your copy and content for the purpose. The course is editorial rather than technical and will cover the principles and techniques of usability, how you can exploit journalism techniques for web copy as well as the relationship between design and content and the way users consume your pages. The course is available on both Mac and PC systems.

Prerequisites
Some knowledge of the web would be useful but not essential. A working knowledge of either the Windows or Mac operating systems. The ability to use Microsoft word

Course Content Understanding users

• The difference between online and offline consumption of text
• Who uses your website?
• How your audience uses content

Content production process

• Different types of content
• Keeping it all up to date
• Considerations for content management systems

Principles of web writing

• Techniques to produce targeted, relevant copy
• Scan-ability and navigation
• Inverted pyramids
• Click depth and page structure
• A little journalistic flair - the direct approach

Re-purposing content for the web

• Chunking down - breaking into small focused chunks
• Sentence and paragraph structure
• Self-contained copy units
• Navigational and link text brevity
• Skimming support

Working with a style guide

• Brand identity and corporate essence
• Tone of voice
• Developing consistency
• Nail down terminology
• Visual style and using style sheets
• Link targets and highlighted words
• Proof reading

The art of webifying

• Practical exercises designed to improve your ability to write clear, concise, user-friendly, brand-focused copy

Questions and answers