How reading online differs.
WHAT PEOPLE DO
Scan before reading. They look for the part relevant to them, and read that.
A page of dense paragraphs is skipped regardless of quality.
WHAT THIS MEANS
Put the important thing first, not after a build-up Use headings that say what each section covers
Keep paragraphs short: three or four lines on a phone
Use lists where the content is genuinely a list
PLAIN LANGUAGE
Write the way you would explain it to a customer in person.
Avoid industry vocabulary unless your customers use it. Avoid words chosen to sound impressive.
LENGTH
As long as needed and no longer. A short page that answers the question beats a long one that circles it.
THE OPENING
Say what the page is about in the first sentence. Not a preamble about your commitment to excellence.
THE TEST
Read it aloud. Anything you would not say to a customer standing in front of you should be rewritten.
THE MOST COMMON FAULT
Writing about yourself when the reader wants to know what you can do for them.
