People move fast on the Web. They’re busy, they don’t have a lot of time, and they have short attention spans; this makes them more impatient. They want to be able to find information that’s useful to them.

When you have just 10 seconds to grab the user’s attention with your content, you need to make your point and you need to do it FAST.

Here are some tips* to help you get your point across clearly and quickly:

• Put the most important information at the top
• Organize content into SHORT paragraphs (5 lines or less, maximum 20 words per sentence)
• Make sure you understand who your reader base is (so you can write directly to them)
• Avoid jargon, exaggerated claims, and cute or clever lines (they prevent the reader from getting to the main point quickly)
• Write meaningful headlines and subheads (and keep them short!)
• Use clear, concise, and correct language (poorly written copy slows readers down)
• Put yourself in your readers’ shoes (will they care about what you wrote?)
• Don’t copy and paste your print brochure word-for-word

Writing long scrolling pages of confusing, non-useful, and “fluffy” or self-serving content will only drive your audience away from your website. If, after 55 seconds (less than a minute!) of browsing your site, a user still doesn’t understand what your company or your product does, then you need to revisit your content.

The good thing about websites is that they’re dynamic. It’s never too late to develop succinct, clear, and useful website content. People will continue to surf the Web at rates faster than we can blink but, if you present content that’s useful and to the point, they may slow down long enough to check out your site and get to know you.

*Sourced from:

“Website Content Writing Tips.” Entheosweb.com. Entheos. n.d. http://www.entheosweb.com/content_writing/tips.asp

Rollins, Corey. “IMC: Expert Panel Tips on Writing for the Web.” techvibes.com. Techvibes. 12 Sep. 2008. http://www.techvibes.com/blog/imc-expert-pannel-tips-on-writing-for-the-web

“10 Writing Tips for Designers.” Webdesigner Depot.com. Webdesigner Depot. 23 Feb. 2009. http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/02/10-writing-tips-for-web-designers/