People sometimes enrol on our web writing course thinking that writing for the web is the same as other forms of writing.

In fact we tell our online web writing course students that web writing is very different from other types of writing.

A web writer must ensure the copy is:

  1. Clear: easy to read and understand, with no ambiguities, and that the writer’s message comes across powerfully.
  2. Appropriate: the content and language, is suitable for the intended reader(s).
  3. Concise: copy is read quickly these days, so the writer should cut out unnecessary words and phrases.
  4. Consistent: style guides are rigidly adhered to.
  5. Accurate: there are no factual mistakes or spelling and punctuation errors.
  6. The right length: cutting text, or expanding it, to fit pre-determined spaces.
  7. Legally safe: there may be problems with defamation, copyright and the Data Protection Act, to name a few.
  8. Packaged properly: using website templates and functions such as contact forms, search facilities, A-Z services etc.
  9. Structured well: so that the reader can quickly find the information they need.

Our web writing course goes into a lot more detail on what is becoming an increasingly specialised area of writing.