We’ve been talking about writing for the web over the last few days now—before we move on any further, it’s time to slow down for a minute and take a look at a few questions. Here goes…
1. Can I write my own web content?
Sure! Writing for the web is easier than you might think. While coming up with good topics to cover, nailing down the right keywords to use, and actually putting it all together takes a bit of practice, those willing to learn typically find that they actually end up enjoying the writing process—especially when it helps them keep their websites fresh and up to date.
2. What is the single most important thing to know about web writing?
Keywords, keywords, keywords. Learning to base your web content around targeted keywords and how to naturally (and helpfully) use them throughout the written content is essential. Because almost all web traffic is tied to a keyword search, learning how to use them to help describe to the search engines what your content is about is one of the biggest components of successful web writing.
3. How formal does my writing need to be for my website?
It’s a fair question, but really only you can answer this one. Because you know your website and its intended audience better than anyone else, you’ve got to make the final call. In most cases, web writing can get away with being more conversational and less formal than with traditional print. One rule of thumb would be to write in the same tone that you would personally talk to one of your best customers face-to-face or via the phone.
4. Is writing a blog post the same as writing web content.
Not usually. There are times when the two types of web writing can be very similar, but most of the time, writing a blog post is more conversational and “lighter” than writing web content. And it also kind of depends on what the purpose of the web content will be—for example, sales-oriented web copy tends to be quite a bit different than your company’s contact page. Each part of your website should deploy effective web writing that most closely corresponds with how visitors will use that particular section or page.
5. Should I follow all of those writing rules I learned in college when writing for my website?
You can definitely keep them in mind if you’d like—but remember, writing for the web is different than traditional print writing, and very different from academic writing. Overall, writing for the web tends to take a more conversational tone.
Have more questions? Feel free to ask us at WSpider (or on Twitter @wspiderdotcom). Talk to you soon!
