Used to writing for print Snap out of it!
Writing for the web can be a tricky business. With so much available content, most web surfers often spend just a few minutes viewing a site before they move on to their next virtual destination.

Web copywriters have a challenging profession written material must be search-engine friendly, include specific keywords and at the same time attract and retain a target audience.

Because the web is a relatively new medium compared to print, some writers have trouble transitioning between the two very distinct writing styles. It's important to be able to distinguish the differences between an audience intended for print, and an audience intended for web.

Getting a visitor's attention is no easy task, but there are certainly ways to attract and maintain interest in your content. By understanding the web surfer's mindset, you can not only tailor your writing skills specifically for the Internet niche, but also improve word choice, structure and the overall look of your content.

Web copy for visitors and search engines
Writing for web sites in particular can be a difficult task. Copywriters must not only create content that is favorable for their audience, but for search engine spiders as well. Since a big chunk of your visitors will probably find your site through a search engine, it's important to define keywords before you start writing.

The short attention span of an online audience demands a casual writing style. By keeping you tone conversational, you can avoid lengthy, confusing sentences and terms your visitors can't understand. To make sentences shorter, remove any unnecessary words (such as "that") and make use of contractions. (1)

The inverted pyramid model used in journalism is effective when writing for web sites as well. The most important information should be at the top, summarizing the content, followed by supporting facts and details in order of importance. Should you catch your visitor's attention, separate the supporting details with subtitles for easy navigation.

Bullets, fonts, and all that jazz - Formatting online content
Creating concise content that is easy to find and read is crucial for attracting and keeping readers. Fortunately, designers have many tools that can be utilized to organize web content.

Headlines, subtitles, bolded text, bullet points and white space are your friends. These formatting techniques help to break up your text, direct the reader's eye and keep content organized. Remember that most online readers want to get information fast, so make your text easy to scan and important information effortless to find. (1)

Battling inbox congestion - Writing for newsletters
Inbox congestion is a problem that both, online users and content writers, must battle. While your newsletter may have fascinating information, many people dread being bogged down by another mass communication in their online mailbox.

So how do you make your newsletter stand out in a sea of miscellaneous emails? Start with a catchy subject line that calls the reader to action. According to a study conducted by Forrester, 33% of reviewed newsletter subjects failed to convey to the addressee the importance of reading the email. (2) The recipient must know the value of opening the newsletter simply by glancing at the subject. Is there a special offer or major discount inside? Let your readers know!

The content of your newsletter should be focused, well-written and to the point. Don't forget that your reader will likely only spend a few minutes glancing over the newsletter. Make sure your copy is easy to scan and the most valuable information is highlighted. Formatting techniques used to organize text on a web site can be used to design newsletter layouts, as well.

Place the important content of your newsletter "above the fold"; it should be seen upon opening the email without the need to scroll down. (2) If you fail to catch the reader's attention right away, he or she won't bother to look around in order to find useful content.

What're you doing with my info - Subscription forms
Concerns of spam arise when your viewers come across that "newsletter subscription" form. For this reason, it's necessary to provide a privacy policy to assure visitors of your intensions. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) even requires this document as a standard for any of its programs and provides an example privacy policy on their web site. (3)

Your visitors want to know how their records will used and that you will not sell their names and contact information to third parties. Providing a clearly outlined privacy policy can ease some of these concerns, and consequently contribute to a higher subscription rate.

Tailor your writing style to a web audience
When writing for the web, it's crucial to always keep your audience in mind. The key to attracting and retaining visitors is to provide useful information in an easy-to-read format.

Make sure your copy is concise and easy to understand Do your introduction sentences convey the importance of the entire paragraph

Don't forget the basics of Internet writing - short paragraphs, informative titles and an organized layout will pave the way to success!

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End Notes Fourteen Tips For Great Website Writing. Writing For Websites. httpwww.website-writing.comwriting.html (accessed February 20, 2007). VanBoskirk, Shar. 2006. The Best And Worst Of Email Marketing In 2006. Forrester Research, Inc. 3-5. Council of Better Business Bureau, Inc. 2003. Sample Privacy Notice. httpwww.bbbonline.orgprivacysample_privacy.asp (accessed February 21, 2007).