Writing for the Internet

Writing for the internet can be quite tricky because there is a lot to say, but the average attention span of a browser is not really that long. That is because there is a lot of territory to cover on the net, so spending too much time on one page is out of the question.

However, there are ways in which you, the writer, can structure an article to keep the individual on the page. Sure, you have to make it interesting so that they’ll read the whole thing, but you also have to make the reading not so punishing. Even if it is interesting, they will leave if they feel like they’re having their brain fed through a meat grinder.

The content

The article should only be somewhere between 300 and 800 words. People begin losing interest somewhere around 350 words because that is really all the time they have to spend on one single page. If several thousand words need to be written, then it is best to divide that content up into separate articles. It is also idea to ensure that the sentences and the words are short. The content should be easy to read.

Paragraphs should be relatively short as well. A paragraph that is hundreds of words long can result in the reader losing their place within the text and can literally give them a headache. Dividing up in paragraphs of a decent size means that the reader is more likely to keep their place in the text and will more than likely be able to comprehend what is in the text.

The structure

The structure of the content is quite simple. First, you want to start off by making the main points at the very beginning of the text. Usually, this can be done in the first sentence. The remaining text then expands upon those points. Again, you don’t want your text to be incredibly long or have painful-to-read paragraphs. You want to use the following techniques to make your article functional:

• Shorten up any long sentences.
• Use bullet points instead of long sentences.
• Rewrite any passive sentences.
• Use shorter words.
• Use headings to separate ideas and organize the text.

At the end, you want to have a strong conclusion that summarizes what you said in as few words as possible. Basically, you’re going to be taking 300 or more words of text and summarizing them in less than 100. It isn’t impossible. It just involves a little bit of thought.

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