People don’t read web pages.

Perhaps it’s because the web puts so much content within our grasp, we’re rarely satisfied to read a page from top to bottom before we veer of in a different direction via hyperlink.

The following are guidelines I adhere to when writing for the web:

• Recognize the structure in documents and make it apparent.
  • Use bullet lists, such as this, to organize lists.
  • Use HTML’s heading tags. They promote organized and logical documents, and can improve your search engine rankings, too. Here’s an example usage:
    • H1 for page titles
    • H2 for section headings
    • H3 for subsection headings
    • And so on…
• Use consistent styles and formatting. Once a user learns your layout, they can take that knowledge to any page in your site.
• Get the main point across in your first sentence.

Interested in learning more? Here is a collection of articles on writing for the web.

Michael Samuelson, Idaho State Library Web Developer