You’re a writer – and a darn good one too. You’ve got tons of magazine or newspaper clips under your belt, you’ve been a freelance writer or blogger for years, but for some reason your web article stinks like an old, half-empty can of tuna fish. What gives?
Writing for the web is different than print writing and blogging and making the transition takes a bit of tweaking. Just like a hunt for the strange smell in the fridge, let’s see if we can sniff out your web article’s issues:
It’s Too Long
Web readers have a shorter attention span. Most often readers are looking for information quick and easy. Web articles have the advantage or disadvantage, depending on your perspective, of having to hit hard and quick before the reader loses interest. Trim your word count and keep the reader.
It’s Too Dense
Web page space matters more, I argue, than in print. Web readers tend to skim the page and if the first thing they see after clicking on your link is a lot of heavy dense paragraphs, they’ll hit the back button. Break up paragraphs, use bullet points and pay careful attention to your spacing. [Read more…]