Writing Skills: Writing for the Web: Skills for Developing Compelling Content

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Course Overview

Organised, value-oriented and well-written content is the hook that brings visitors to a site and keeps them coming back. Powerful content combined with good design and effective use of Web technology defines great sites.

In this intensive course, you develop and sharpen skills to create compelling Web content for attracting visitors and providing value. Content writers and developers learn how to write for the unique online environment, including optimising content for search engines and organising information flow.

Audience

This intensive course is valuable for anyone creating, revising or maintaining online content, including Web content writers, content managers and editors, programmers, online help writers, Webmasters, business analysts and administrators, site designers and marketing teams.

Skills Gained

• Create Web content that serves business and audience needs
• Cultivate a writing voice and style that serve both reader and stakeholder needs
• Identify Web reader needs and challenges
• Summarise content for improved clarity and scanning
• Write organised content using effective headings, paragraphs and segments
• Satisfy Web accessibility and Section 508 guidelines to broaden audience usability

Course Outline

Introduction

• Defining the five Ws of Web content
• Connecting good and bad Web site characteristics to the writer responsibilities

Organising Your Approach

Integrating business and Web reader needs

• Crafting content to support the organisation's purpose
• Capturing & focusing the reader's attention
• Delivering value for information, service and product sites
• Building credibility with quality writing
• Identifying elements of a high-impact Web site

Adopting the S.M.A.R.T. criteria for Web pages

• Developing effective content
• Organising and structuring reader-centric content
• Constructing a powerful message

Identifying the Challenges of Web Writing

Reading and writing in the online environment

• Identifying and writing for your audience
• Applying the inverted pyramid principle
• Technical realities of the Web environment

Applying a Web writing process

• Expanding on the traditional writing process
• Maintaining the site
• Differentiating between programmer, designer and writer roles

Writing Content for an Effective Site

Creating pages that serve the audience

• Match the need to the style
• Mixing design and words appropriately

Structuring for clarity and flow

• Organisational techniques for cohesion
• Brainstorming with Mind Mapping methodologies

Structuring a site for readability

• Formatting text layout to support reader processing
• Shaping reader perception with appropriate aesthetics
• Creating clarity throughout a site

Presenting a Targeted Message

Crafting a powerful message

• The critical four Cs
• The optional fifth C
• Minimising words without losing the message
• Sequencing words and phrases

Applying consistency across Web pages

• Demystifying the interactions of HTML, JavaScript and CSS
• Grammar and punctuation considerations
• Making an impact with fonts and colors

Cultivating an appropriate writing voice

• Comparing and contrasting writing styles
• Matching the style to the audience
• Avoiding words, phrases and writing techniques that slow readers down
• Writing with less hype and more value
• Covering a topic to the correct depth and breadth

Focusing on Reader and Business Needs

Drafting key HTML text

• Creating title tags that serve three purposes
• Adding text to graphics to support searching and text readers
• Sorting through meta tags

Writing for search engine optimisation

• Spiders, robots and Googlebots
• Increasing traffic to your site
• Ranking and visibility

Enhancing Usability and Access

• Distinguishing between usability and accessibility
• Applying 508 and W3C accessibility guidelines to content
• Identifying writing techniques that target accessibility
• Deciding if compliance initiatives apply to your business

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