Writing for the Web vs. Print: Is there a difference?
20 Friday Jan 2012
Written by Vonetta Booker-Brown in Blogging, Content Marketing, Cool Resources, Freelance Stuff, Small Business, Writing
Tags
blog, content marketing, Creative, entrepreneurs, Freelance Stuff, freelance writers, resources, small business, Tips & Resources, writing, writing for print, writing for the web
Welcome back! We previously discussed how, when it comes to content marketing, quality kicks quantity’s butt every time. I’ll start this post off by asking the question:
Is there a difference between writing for the Web and for print publications?
The answer: Absolutely. While online, people tend to read content differently than when they have a book or newspaper in their hands. Since there’s a lot more “skimming,” short, straightforward paragraphs work better, with an average length of 400-500 words. (If longer, the article tends to be broken up into several pages.)
According to a study by Dr. Jakob Nielsen (who The New York Times called “the guru of Web page usability”), 79% of users scan the page instead of reading it word-for-word. Since computer monitor reading takes up to 25% longer than reading in print, it’s important to keep things concise when writing for the Web.
All in all, make sure you follow the “golden rule” of Web writing: Inform your readers!
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