Module 3: WWW Standards

5 most important rules for writing online:

1. Be clear and concise.
Don’t waste your time with blurbs or marketing texts. Keep it short and to the point. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to elaborate on the point if need be.
2. Use simple language.
No marketing or technical lingo­­, write in a way that will be easy for them to understand.
3. Use Meaningful links
Particularly important for screen readers, a link that says `Click Here` is generic and doesn’t have a meaning. Use links that indicate where they lead you. The links you provide support and authenticate your arguments.
4. Use clear writing and easy to understand titles, headings and toolbars.
This will help the user become aware of exactly what your webpage is about.
5. Pay attention to layout.
Making the most of your layout is especially important when you’re writing short copy. The right blend of emphasis and information is the best way to attract viewers. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of bolding, italics, underlining, color and white space.

The advice in Nielsen’s page is certainly still relevant and right after all this year. He also advise you should be conscious, the reader wants in terms of literacy levels and not include words or sentences that are to hard to understand. "Our study suggests that scannable, concise, and objective writing styles each make a positive difference in Web users' performance and subjective satisfaction. Promotional writing, which is the style most commonly found on the Web today, had much lower scores on virtually all usability measures."
J. Morkes, J. Nielsen (1997). Concise, Scannable, and Objective: How to Write for the Web. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from
http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html