#20604
Among the many Web-induced trends, the emergence of a new writing genre designed to accommodate the reading habits of Web users is especially notable. People read differently on the Web. One reason for this is that reading text on-screen is unpleasant. Given the low resolution of the computer screen and the clumsiness of the scrolling page, many readers scan onscreen and print pages for reading. Another reason is that Web reading is not a stationary activity. Users roam from page to page collecting salient bits of information from a variety of sources. They need to be able quickly to ascertain the contents of a page, get the information they are seeking, and move on. Also, because Web pages may be accessed directly without preamble, they must be more independent than print pages. Too many Web pages end up as isolated fragments of information, divorced from the larger context of their parent Web sites through the lack of essential links and the simpler failure to inform the reader properly of their contents.
Lynch, Patrick J. and Sarah Horton. Yale University (1999). Design>Web Design>Writing
#28395
In the web environment, text has enormous strengths. In many situations, using text delivers far better results than graphics. Web designers should be daring and use text wherever possible.
Hunt, Ben. Web Design From Scratch (2006). Design>Web Design>Writing>Typography
#19022
You can use writing techniques to exploit the Web's strengths while avoiding its weaknesses.
Kilian, Crawford. New Architect (2001). Articles>Writing>Web Design
#27994
The Elements of Style for Designers
What if E.B. White had written 'Hanging Commas 99% Bad' instead of a gentle list of reminders for young writers? Wodtke outlines how White's list of 22 reminders for writing can be just what young designers need.
Wodtke, Christina. Boxes and Arrows (2006). Design>Web Design>Writing>Minimalism
#18742
La escritura hipertextual, que tiene como unidad básica el enlace y como soporte lógico el electrónico, se debe realizar de forma diferente a la escritura convencional. A los usuarios no les gusta leer en pantalla, por lo que agradecerán cuanto más les facilitemos dicha tarea. En este artículo se tratará la correcta presentación de contenidos y elementos de interacción (enlaces) en los documentos hipertextuales.
Hassan Montero, Yusef and Francisco Jesus Martin Fernandez. Nosolousabilidad.com (2003). (Spanish) Articles>Writing>Hypertext>Web Design
#23953
Eviter le Langage Trop Promotionnel
Internet n'est pas un mass media réceptionné passivement comme peut l'être la télévision ; Internet est un média qui est activé par l'utilisateur. C'est ce qui explique sans doute l'échec relatif de la publicité en ligne à laquelle les internautes ont tout le loisir de ne pas prêter attention. Les surfeurs n'ont pas de temps à gaspiller : ils s'orientent tout droit vers les informations qui leur sont utiles et fuient tout ce qui ressemble à de la publicité.
Redaction (2004). (French) Articles>Web Design>Writing
#25537
A Fairy, a Low-Fat Bagel, and a Sack of Hammers
One bright, sunny day, the Bad Internet Fairy closed down every company and organization site on the web. But even though all those company and organization sites had closed down, the internet was still ablaze with activity.
Usborne, Nick. List Apart, A (2003). Articles>Web Design>Writing
#20260
When did weblogs stop filtering the web and begin cluttering it instead? Rich Robinson on digital glut and creative solutions.
Robinson, Richard. List Apart, A (2000). Articles>Web Design>Writing>Blogging
#24137
The Five Most Important Words on Your Web Site
Some words really can make a difference on your site. They are not 'powerful' in isolation but, in the right context, can make an important difference.
ClickZ (2001). Design>Web Design>Writing
#24125
Focus On WHAT You Are Going To Say
Focus all your energy on figuring out WHAT to say. Get that right and everything else will fall into place.
Usborne, Nick. ClickZ (2002). Articles>Web Design>Writing
#25321
Four Things Every Web Site Headline Must Achieve
Here are four things you need to keep in mind, four elements that demand your attention, four separate ‘audiences’ you need to satisfy.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2003). Articles>Web Design>Writing
#28143
Four Tips on Writing a Web Site Home Page
Home pages can be tricky, simply because your page not only has its own job to do, but also has to support a group of second level pages. Here's how I approach writing home pages...whether a site has a total of ten pages or a thousand pages.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2006). Articles>Web Design>Writing
#25218
Freelance Copywriters: Double Your Income
Freelance copywriters are a strange group of people when it comes to running their own businesses.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2005). Careers>Web Design>Writing
#31579
Friend or Foe? Web 2.0 in Technical Communication 
The rise of Web 2.0 technology provides a platform for user-generated content. Publishing is no longer restricted to a few technical writers—any user can now contribute information. But the information coming from users tends to be highly specific, whereas technical documentation is comprehensive but less specific. The two types of information can coexist and improve the overall user experience. User-generated content also offers an opportunity for technical writers to participate as “curators”—by evaluating and organizing the information provided by end users.
O'Keefe, Sarah S. Scriptorium (2008). Articles>Web Design>Technical Writing>Social Networking
#23706
From Writer to Content Provider
As a regular user of the web or even as a writer for online magazines, you may not have picked up on a trend I've noticed from my contacts with web entrepreneurs. Increasingly, those who aim at selling big on the Net understand that attractive prices, huge inventories and responsive online ordering aren't enough to spark fantastic traffic. They call the missing ingredient 'content' and crave its power to inspire repeat visits.
Yudkin, Marcia. Yudkin.com (2001). Articles>Web Design>Writing
#19021
Fruit Flies Like a Banana: Writing Unambiguously
Ambiguity has a way of creeping into your writing without your noticing it. Here are five of the biggest culprits.
Henning, Kathy. ClickZ (2001). Articles>Writing>Web Design
#28350
Gentle Reader, Stay Awhile; I Will Be Faithful
Every opening paragraph is the beginning of a delicate and transient relationship between reader and writer. This relationship begins quietly, usually without much fanfare--and if it's properly initiated, the reader doesn't even know it's happening. Yet the success of this relationship is an important factor in creating an enjoyable, engaging experience for the reader. This is especially true on the web where author credibility can be difficult to establish, and where, increasingly, readers have so many choices that separating the chaff from the wheat can be a daunting process.
Simmons, Amber. List Apart, A (2006). Design>Web Design>Writing>Rhetoric
#28144
Get That "One Thing" Into Your Web Page Headline
If you are presenting a risk-free trial of something...get that message into your headline. This may sound obvious, but while we were testing various offer pages, it became clear that the winning pages all had headlines which were focused on the offer, and were very much reader and benefit centered.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2006). Articles>Web Design>Writing
#28150
Give Your Testimonials More Credibility
I think that the people who give the testimonials do so for the additional exposure they receive for their own names, sites and businesses. I also think they do some mutual back-scratching, and hype each other's products and services. In other words, the testimonials are just additional sales text. They have no credibility as outside, third-party endorsements.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2006). Articles>Writing>Web Design>Marketing
#28858
Good Writing on Your Web Site: How and Why You Should Ensure the Quality of Your Content
Discusses the importance of writing well and some simple methods for ensuring your content is well-written and then move on to ways clever content-management systems can make your life easier.
Mercurytide (2005). Articles>Web Design>Writing
#25217
Google: The Ultimate Web Writer's Style Guide
Forget that Google is a search engine. Just for a moment, imagine it is a style guide. A very different kind of style guide.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2005). Articles>Web Design>Writing
#25320
Guerilla Upgrades: Start with Your Newsletter
Persuading your managers to allow some testing in the tone and voice of a newsletter isn’t half as hard as persuading them to make changes to your site’s homepage.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2003). Articles>Web Design>Writing
#10410
Guidelines for Authoring Comprehensible Web Pages and Evaluating Their Success 
The guidelines presented in this article should enable authors to create Web pages that their readers can understand. They should also enable evaluators to judge the comprehensibility of Web pages. The guidelines are explained and supported by an examination of relevant research and usability studies.
Spyridakis, Jan H. Technical Communication Online (2000). Design>Web Design>Writing>Usability
#21159
The Hidden Truth About Web Content
Many Web developers have failed to realize that Web content goes far beyond the text of the site. Most people throw around the word 'content' as if Web sites that have many pages and many words are great. Take a moment and reflect on this key question: Is text the same thing as content? The answer is simple: No, text is not synonymous or identical to content. You shouldn't think that content is all about words, sentences, paragraphs, and pages. Here is the reality: Web content is about user interactivity.
Rhodes, John S. WebWord (1999). Design>Web Design>Writing
#22455
Review: Hot Text: Web Writing That Works
This book will help you improve any type of written communication, and it's a fun read to boot. The authors know what they're talking about and have the experience to back up their words. Both have spent many years writing for Web audiences. In addition to Web writing, their combined relevant experience includes journalism, technical communication, art, TV and radio, and teaching.
Frick, Geri. TECHWR-L (2004). Articles>Reviews>Web Design>Writing
