Clarity

Once you have your content, arranged it into a likely architecture, and worked out where it will sit on the page, you're ready to design the display layer.

Hunt, Ben. Web Design From Scratch (2006). Design>Web Design>Writing>Rhetoric

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

Make Your Content Work for You: Creating and Promoting Viral Content

With the cost of quality traffic rising and reaching and maintaining top search engine position becoming more and more difficult as EVERYONE is moving to the net, viral content blows up one of the most spouted off cliche of all time… “NOTHING IS FREE”. The exposure and added traffic that an amazing piece of content can generate is free. That’s the beauty… with a truly viral piece of content, everyone else does your promotion for you, letting you sit back and enjoy the ride.

Robbins, Kyle. ReEncoded (2008). Articles>Web Design>Writing>Rhetoric

Prepare Web Content and Organization For Your Audience

Communicators must know whether the audience consists of viewers, users or readers before selecting, writing and organizing content.

Writing that Works (2003). Articles>Web Design>Rhetoric>Writing

Website Posture and Manner

The way a website presents itself to users is a key aspect of user experience. Effective websites don't interrupt user flow, which is guaranteed largely by posture (how the website uses available resources, particularly visual), and manner (how the website 'talks' to users).

Baker, Adam. Merges.net (2001). Design>Web Design>Writing>Rhetoric

Winning Content Persuades, Not Manipulates

Elements of persuasion are important to creating winning content. To help safeguard content from becoming manipulation, we need to understand its distinction from persuasion. As a step toward that understanding, this article: provides basic definitions of persuasion and manipulation; explores the key differences between them; and describes some consequences for UX content.

Jones, Colleen. UXmatters (2008). Articles>Web Design>Writing>Rhetoric