WRITING for the WEB WHO AM I? WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?

WRITING for the WEB

WHO AM I?

WHO ARE

YOU?

WHAT ARE WE DOING

HERE?

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Writing…

Draft 1

Draft 3

Draft 2

Final Draft …is a process

Blog it

How does the Internet differ from radio, television and print?

We need to know our audience.

Imogen has never visited our website before and is visiting today during a 2-minute coffee break using her work computer while her boss isn’t looking. Like many Australians, Imogen doesn’t understand what the word “advocacy” means, and the only protest she’s taken part in was to avoid purchasing French goods during the nuclear tests at Mururoa Atol in the 1990s.

The aim in writing copy for Imogen is to tell her something that will interest her enough to keep reading.

Persona 1

Pele is our average website visitor: he visits our website once every two months out of personal interest, he is 29 years old, a Channel 10 viewer, has travelled around Australia, and has visited America or Western Europe once or twice. Pele first donated to Oxfam during the Tsunami appeal.

Pele likes to read an overview of the areas he thinks might be of interest, and hopefully something will spark his interest (so that he eventually takes on Olivia’s profile).

Persona 2

Olivia is a regular donor or supporter. She visits our website once a month, is 42, reads The Age and watches ABC news, has travelled extensively around South and East Asia and has been to Africa once or twice. She has participated in Trailwalker and is considering going on the CLP this year. She also supports Amnesty International.

Olivia likes to know more detailed information about what we are doing so that she can be assured her monthly donation is being put to good use.

Persona 3

Donald may not support us financially but he is very passionate about the issues and loves to get involved with our campaigns. He travelled throughout Eastern Europe and Asia for nine months before starting university, and has alsoparticipated in Oxfam Challenge. He is currently undertaking post-graduate research in Community Development.

Donald is always looking for ways to get involved or find further information and so wants to know about our work in as much detail as we can give.

Persona 4

We need to heed the purpose.

We refer to the research on the habits of users.

Hunters

Browsers

Grazers

We refer to the research on the habits of users - # 2.

80 % Scan

USER RESEARCH

SCAN ORDER

•Headings•Sub-headings•Hyperlinks•Lead paragraphs•Abstracts•Other (photos)

Eye-tracking

Web writing = content + presentation

Web writing includes form as well as content.

6C’sClearCorrectConcise CoherentConsistent Communicate

We need to note the principles of good writing.

Make sure it is reliable, verifiable, accurate.

Imagination

Newspapers

Magazines Television

Interviews

Press releasesObservation

Radio

The Internet

Publications

Opinion

Talkback

We can use the journalist’s inverted pyramid.

WhoWhenWhereWhat

Lead

Body Why

To chunk or not to chunk.

E

Layering information (for different personas)

Heading

Blurb

Full report (PDF)

First para

Abstract

Summary

PDF download

Write interesting and meaningful headings.

Childhood diabetes linked to mothers’ diet

Short male babies may earn less laterNo walk in the park for riders on the storm Making the most of life one day at a time Attack threatens road map Judge orders refugees review Wired jacket offers a shocking fashion statement Blair’s spin doctor apologises for dossier UN troops unable to stem Congo conflict Seeking hard evidence for the latest Irish blarney Warship

Create menu labels that are intuitive.

Write blurbs that briefly describe a link.

What makes a good business plan?

Six leading entrepreneurs offer their advice.

Write abstracts to summarise downloadables.

Choose the correct word

Use strong verbs.

Decide

Use simple sentence structure (where possible).

Suject-Verb-Object

Active voice is preferred.

The student wrote a song.A song was written by the student.

Make it personal.

YOU…

Avoid dangerous words

hyperlink

The hyperlink makes web content interactive and

3-dimensional.

hyperlinkhyperlink

One idea per paragraph.

Use dot points.

Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized attractions that draw large crowds of people every year, without fail. In 1996, some of the most popular places were Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors), Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166), Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum (100,000), Carhenge (86,598), Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002), and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,446).

In 1996, six of the most-visited places in Nebraska were:

* Fort Robinson State Park * Scotts Bluff National Monument * Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum * Carhenge * Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer * Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park

Original

Revised

124% improvedreadability

Cut the verbiage.

x 50%

PresentationPresentation

PresentationPresentation

PresentationPresentation

Thief

Fraud

Swindler

Gangster

Liar

YOU…..

Beware of using defamatory labels

Readability

Run a readability check over the text.

R = [ ]NWNS + x 0.4

NHW x 100NW

The Gunning Fog Index

Check for spelling and grammar mistakes.

Proofreed

Is it accessible?

W3C

At the beginning of the day, I was sufficiently motivated to get up and go outside to walk for exercise down the street to the closest park nearby where I live.

I went for a walk.

EDITING

FAQFAQ

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The End