Writing for the Web

Internet readers’ attention spans are shorter, so their time is more valuable. The inverted pyramid style of writing so firmly cemented in journalists’ minds holds even greater weight online. The Poynter Institute’s eyetrack study found that when visiting a page, readers first look at briefs, captions and headlines. If they are hooked by the initial story idea, they will keep reading, usually, for longer than they would a print story. Poynter found that 75 percent of online article text was read; print audiences read 20 to 25 percent. Of course, Web stories are shorter than print, so what is included must be important.
Paper reflects light, and computer screens emit it, forcing the eye to take in an entire square screen instead of a narrow range of words. Storing content in cyberspace may have immensely improved information’s availability, but our brain power and tolerance for prolonged exposure to light do not allow us to read every word on the Web. If entire news stories are posted online, readers have trouble keeping up. As the story progresses, readers’ attention spans taper off, making the inclusion of the most relevant content of the utmost importance.
Crawford Kilian, author of Writing for the Web, cites technological limitations to Web writing’s full capacity:

Until computer screens approach the clarity of print on paper, Webtext will slow down reading speeds by up to 25 percent. This means that you are wasting your readers’ time unless you cut your text by the same amount. If print can say it in 100 words, your Web site better say it in 75 (or even fewer).

Be concise when you’re writing. As journalists, we think we are masters of precision. Take what you would normally say, and slash it. People won’t read screens full of gray text. They like lists. They like breaks. Use them.