The golden rule is this: people don’t READ online, they SCAN.
In the fast-paced world of Internet-browsing, people don’t read your carefully-crafted prose as if they are snuggled up with a James Patterson novel. There’s no time for that…people want the bottom line in record time or else they’re going to move on.
The key to writing online is cunning use of formatting so that your copy doesn’t feel long-winded and heavy.
Long-winded example:
Coffee is a brewed beverage that is made from the seeds of the coffee plant. These seeds are commonly known as coffee beans. Coffee is grown in more than 70 countries around the world. Green coffee beans, which are unroasted, are an important agricultural commodity and form the cornerstone of many economies on Earth. The caffeine found in coffee seeds acts as a stimulant in humans. This makes coffee one of the most sought-after beverages in most countries.
Easy-to-scan web copy:
Did you know the following interesting facts about coffee?
- Coffee comes from the seeds (or beans) of the coffee plant
- Coffee is grown in more than 70 countries world-wide
- Green coffee beans are traded as one of the most important commodities in agricultural economies
- The buzz you get from drinking coffee is from the caffeine found in the coffee bean
Remember to keep the most important information at the top of the page and get to the point quickly. Start off with the main idea of the article.
Use one main heading per page that describes what the page is about. This is important for search engines too.
Divide your article into sub-headings that show the topics of the article.
Most importantly, keep the content short and to the point.