Publications Standards Manual - glendale community college

Writing Effective Web Content
Brevity-The Soul of the Website
People read website differently than a printed page. Nearly 80% of us scan webpages, trying to quickly determine what’s relevant and reading only
20% of the text on a page.
Write your page content—then cut it in half! Users won’t scroll through a mass of text. Cut, cut, cut until your message is distilled to its essence.
Use concise and very short paragraphs that communicate a single idea.
• Aim for 300 words per page.
• Write meaningful page titles and sub-headings that make information easy to find.
• Don’t waste space welcoming readers to your page. There is no need and it will be ignored.
• White space makes pages more readable.
Clear and Concise Communication
Write content that is easy to read and understand. This is not the place to show off your extensive vocabulary. The average US citizen reads at an 8th
grade level. Avoid big, scholarly words or technical jargon. Don’t use acronyms or “insider” language.
Poor spelling and grammar brands the college as “unprofessional.” Out-of-date information degrades the trust of the user and creates a poor user
experience.
Studies show that 79% of all users scan webpages for links and images, and read 25-50% slower when reading from a computer screen (that’s
why they scan). Break up large block of text with headings, subheads, and bulleted or numbered lists. Divide complex topics into coherent “chunks”
organized by topic.
Important Information First
Use the journalist’s tool of the “inverted pyramid” and write the most important or most newsworthy information first. Use the active voice and write
dynamic (but short) sentences. Write as little as possible, but as much as necessary.
Subheadings Help
Subheadings help clarify the subject of various page sections and help readers skim the page for information.
Creating Emphasis
Be selective about what to emphasize. Too many elements compete for the reader’s attention. If you use proper headings, short paragraphs and
bulleted lists you should not need much else.
Highlight key words in bold – but be careful. Too much bold makes text harder to read.
Do not underline text. It will be mistaken for a broken link.
Don’t use ALL CAPS. It feels like YOU ARE SHOUTING AT ME.
Avoid abundant exclamation points.
Use italics sparingly. They can be hard to read.
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