by: The Sun Micorsystems "Writing on the Web" by Jakob Nielsen,; PJ Schemenaur, and J. Fox
Know your target audience. What do they want to find on your site? Write down a list and create your site content based on what the user wants.
Evaluate your competitors' sites. Keep a list of the content they provide, and make sure the content on your site is better.
Users do not read web pages - they scan them. Adding bullet points or numbered lists greatly helps slow down page scanning and draws the users attention into the page content.
Make sure you page headline accurately reflects the page contents. It is very important that you keep titles short and paragraphs limited to 3 sentences or less. A web site page should display all the content without forcing the user to scroll, so keep your page text to 500 words or less.
Remember that text placed in sidebars (narrow columns down the side) needs to have an appropriate title of two words or less and paragraphs are usually one sentence. Bullet and numbered lists do not work well in sidebars (unless formatted in a table or with a StyleSheet).
Users are impatient. They want direct, honest, credible, well written content. Your content should quickly provide the user with the information they are looking for.
Users want to find the content in the top part of the page - do not bury it in the last paragraph... as if it's a prize for having the read the page.
Users scan the titles and beginnings of paragraphs to see if the information they want is present. If it isn't - they will jump to another site.
Typically, your online text is 50% of your written text. You must be direct. Use upbeat and conversational language to keep the users engaged. Focus on the benefits of your products or services.
Anyone can put a web site online. As a result, users are skeptical about the quality of a web site they are visiting for the first time.
Make sure to include links to other sites which will indicate to users that you are well informed and have thoroughly researched the topics you address.
If you have references that need to be credited in your work, put the credits at the bottom of the page.
Keep your content up to date. Don't leave information online about a tradeshow that passed through town two years ago.
Add new content to your site monthly (or weekly, if possible). If you content is of value, then users will keep coming back for more. Make sure there is something new for them to see.