Writing for the web: Shorter is better

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Writing for the web: Shorter is better

When writing online text, short is better than long. Short articles are easy to glean information from, and if it��s useful material, the visitor will continue by clicking onto another of your pages. The longer the piece, however, the more the visitor must annoyingly scroll to read additional content �� especially on mobile phones, which is how more and more of your website visitors are accessing you �� and can have difficulty locating info when scrolling back up.

A short piece runs up to 700 words in length. At the same time of ensuring you don��t go too long, make sure you don��t offer too little. After all, if you go fewer than 300 words, why access the page? There likely won��t be enough information on the page to make it worth visiting.

There are a number of guidelines to ensure your text ends up being short rather than long:
�� Figure out what��s important �� Writing short doesn��t mean you skimp on research. You need to understood your topic fully and identify what you will zero in on.
�� Stay focused �� Avoid meandering starts and don��t go off on tangents. Think ��this is the one key takeaway I want readers to get from the piece�� and distill your explanations down to their essence with two or three supporting points.
�� Be concise �� Minimize unnecessary words. Use active voice and write tightly. Don��t repeat ideas; for example, a conclusion paragraph that summarize the page��s text is superfluous.
�� Give specific, meaningful details/examples �� Your writing is more evocative when you are exact. Don��t write ��The river was beautiful�� but ��Sunlight sparkled off the river.�� The latter��s few extra letters actually provide far more information than the briefer former example.
�� Limit quotation length �� Favor the pithy over the rambling. If you can say it better in your own words, then do so.
�� Maintain an appetizer mentality �� Your blog and website text is all about getting visitors interested in your book, which is the main course. Don��t fill them up with the website but give them enough to get them to at least take a look at if not buy your book.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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