Learning to Write for the Web

Course details

People read differently online: they scan. They're trying to find information quickly. Writing with this goal in mind makes a website more appealing, and makes customers more likely to visit more often and buy products and services. In this course, Chris Nodder offers seven practical techniques for writing successfully on the web, including front-loading content, writing at the right grade level, avoiding jargon, and keeping content up to date. Test your knowledge as you complete each chapter, and make sure your writing is leading to a positive user experience.

Learning objectives
Explain how people read differently on the web.
Name the reading level that body text should be written at.
Identify types of text that serve as signposts for readers on the web.
Give examples of how to make your target audience care about your text.
List documents that could be used to provide supporting evidence to an article.
Determine the expiration date on seasonal articles.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - Introduction to web writing
03 - What you should know before watching this course
04 - Using the exercise files

1. Write for Fast Reading

05 - People scan they don't read
06 - Challenge - Editing text
07 - Solution - Editing text

2. Reading Age and Tone

08 - Write for an 8th-grade audience
09 - Formal text is harder to read
10 - Challenge - Calculate the reading level of a piece of text
11 - Solution - Calculate the reading level of a piece of text

3. Don't Tease - What's in It for Me

12 - Create information-rich signposts
13 - Answer readers' unasked questions
14 - Challenge - Creating signposts
15 - Solution - Creating signposts

4. Front-Load Your Content

16 - Readers lose interest quickly
17 - Challenge - Reorganizing text
18 - Solution - Reorganizing text

5. Remove the Sales Pitch

19 - Marketing speak and jargon turn people off
20 - Industry-specific words
21 - Challenge - Rewriting to remove hyperbole
22 - Solution - Rewriting to remove hyperbole

6. Provide Detailed Information and Useful Images

23 - People look for supporting evidence
24 - People respect authoritative sources
25 - Stock images are a waste of space
26 - Challenge - Linking to outside information to enhance your content
27 - Solution - Linking to outside information to enhance your content

7. Actively Manage the Information You Publish

28 - Readers are wary of dated content
29 - Challenge - Setting suitable expiration dates for your content
30 - Solution - Setting suitable expiration dates for your content

Conclusion

31 - Well-written content is already SEO-optimized
32 - Next steps