Business Writing for the Web

Learn how to write compelling content for a business website.

The hardest part of making a business website successful is writing great content that will attract readers and encourage them to choose what you are offering. Whether you are selling physical objects or a service, what you write and how you write it will make the difference between a quick look-and-leave visit, and a new customer. This is not a book on how to code your website, but a book on how best to write the pages on your website. The book is written in plain English and is written to be a quick and easy read. Online technology changes constantly, but what remains constant is that a website needs great content, written in an engaging and web-friendly manner, to make it a success. This book takes you inside the techniques of a master communicator, whose rules start with, “break the rules!”

ContentsCoverTitle PageIntroductionRule 1: Web Copy Must Be Scan-ableHeadlinesSubheadingsBullet pointsRule 2: Use Short ParagraphsThree to five sentencesThe one-sentence paragraphRule 3: Don’t Dwell (Keep Your Pages Short)FormattingContent styleBut what if I really need to have a long page?Rule 4: Throw Out the English Rule BookThe way we are taught to write is wrong (for business)How many rules does your reader know?Write like you talkOkay, so what rules of English do you need to know?Commonly misspelled words and misused phrasesIn closingRule 5: Do Not Preach to the ChoirTargeted traffic revisitedWhat’s your problem?What are visitors expecting from you?Rule 6: Keep Your Audience in Mind, but Don’t Alienate Anyone, EitherWrite so your audience understands youDon’t alienate anyoneDancing between the twoLose the corporate jargon, againRule 7: Write with ConfidenceRule 8: Use the Word “You” a LotHow often to use the word “you”One more “you” myth dispelledRule 9: Bolds, Italics, Underlines, Parentheses, Dashes, and Other Formatting TricksBolds and italicsDifferent color fontsHighlightingUnderliningALL CAPSDashesEllipses …Overdoing punctuation(Parentheses)Why asides are importantIn closingRule 10: Lots of Escape Hatches (Calls to Action)Rule 11: Be an Oreo®What do I mean by “Be an Oreo®?”Thank YouTable of Contents