Writing for the Web
As with other marketing publications, webpages should feature up-to-date information that is organized, clear, concise, and has a tone that is friendly and professional. In addition to the writing advice on the preceding pages in the section called "Writing Tips for Marketing Publications," here are some additional technical considerations to take into account when writing for webpages.
Fonts
The font Verdana was selected for Lane's website (this text is in Verdana). This font has a clean and contemporary look and is one of the most readable fonts for computer monitors. Use this font for the content of college webpages except for page headers. Bold fonts are excellent for section headings. Italics can be difficult to read on computer monitors, so use italics sparingly if at all.
Links
One of the big differences between reading print on paper and reading text on a webpage is the use of hypertext links. If used well, links allow the reader to jump quickly to another location for more information. If used poorly, links can end up as a boring list of other places to go, or if brightly colored links are used excessively within paragraphs, the page can become a jumble of poor design that repels the reader.
Links should be used sparingly and as a reinforcement of content rather than as a substitute for good content. The Lane website uses consistent link colors for identifying links. The college's design templates for webpages use the desired link colors so you will not need to adjust the link colors to meet these guidelines. Avoid the use of underlining for links because it's distracting to read text that is broken up by underlining. If there are a number of links that are useful to readers, try to bunch them in a distinct separate list at the bottom of the page rather than have them interspersed within paragraphed text. If the name of a link does not adequately describe the content, include a brief phrase to describe the content to be found on the linked page.
Punctuation and Special CharactersWithout proper coding, some punctuation marks and special characters can be mistranslated when converted to web pages. For HTML coding of dashes, bullets, "smart quotes" and other special characters, see the information at 2011sitearchive.lanecc.edu /webguide/specialcharacters.htm.
For More Information, Please Visit These Pages:
- More information about creating webpages
- For more information about writing style and how to increase the quality and effectiveness of your writing, see the sections of this guide on:
- For more lengthy and in-depth coverage about writing for webpages, there is excellent information at webstyleguide.com.
