Writing for the Web

Writing for the Web (or anything that will be read on a monitor) requires a different approach than that of offline writing.

Fonts

Stick with a Sans-Serif font like Arial, Verdana or Helvetica. Serif fonts (such as Times New Roman) are more difficult to make out on screen due to the lower resolution.

Paragraphs and Sentences

Keep paragraphs and sentences short. Generally no more than three sentences per paragraph. Use plain english, and avoid complex terms or flowery language.

Formatting

Pick out key words and phrases and make them bold. Make sure you use the Under 10 Rule for Bold to make sure you don't use too much.

Use Italics for names of books, articles, films, and also to add emphasis to particular phrases - in the same way you would if you read them out. e.g. Do you really think that?

Avoid underlining text, as this gets confused with hyperlinks.

Hyperlinks

Make use of hyperlinks where appropriate to link to relevant content. If the link sends the user to another website, you may consider opening the link in a new window so they can continue to read your article/text.

Colours

The easiest combinations of colours to read is black text on a white background. You make sections of your text Red (to grab attention) and Green (to indicate that things are okay).