Writing For The Web When writing for the Web, you should keep in mind that the majority of screens still show a desktop of 640X480 pixels. Therefore, your home page should pack its punch in the top four inches of the display window. Your reader should get the message of what your page is about and gain a quick understanding of its navigational capabilities right off the top.  It's there a rhythm is established for your reader by the text, typography and layout. For presentations designed to grab people's attention, all the pertinent information should be contained within the display window. Remember that a web page is not only a visual experience, it has to function efficiently. A good test of its effectiveness is the number of options available in those top four inches. A good rule of thumb is to keep the size of your pages to about screen and half of text where ever possible. In fact, when preparing your pages, think in screens of information. Try to organize your pages so that the user doesn't have to navigate several thinly populated menus or index pages before they get to real information. People generally skim web pages rather than actually read them. The most successful pages are easily accessible and provide meaningful information.  Before you start writing get a good idea of your audience. Is it company employees, customers, people familiar with the subject or people just finding out? Once you understand what your audience knows, this dictates how much background information you need to provide, and to what extent you need to define and explain your terminology. Hypertext Copy Writing hypertext copy requires a special discipline. You should not feel you have to guide your reader through your page. Stay focused on your subject. Resist the urge of instructing your reader to click here or go there. Do not write about the reader's movement. The only place you should mention clicking is on the introductory help page. Do no write about your writing or about the document. Using terms like, Go to the previous or next item are suitable for fast connections, where the buttons and words are always the same and the users are familiar with the document. Otherwise, use absolute directions. Finally, your links should give the reader an idea of what your document is about before they even start reading. The bells and whistles - graphics, animation, and audio/video - grab the headlines. Yet most experts agree, it's the ability to communicate useful information in a personal, direct and conversational manner that brings people back to your page.  Try writing in bursts of information. Short, factual, well-written prose interacting with interesting links is more attractive to the reader. Headers, as mentioned, should be used sparingly. When you do keep them short and to the point - three words maximum. Most of what designers do on the Web is really editing, not writing. Editing means checking grammar, watching continuity, ensuring your copy is written in an active tense, and making sure the document as a whole is good shape. Most important check the spelling. And be accurate You should never make assumptions on how people will view your pages. You should try to cater to a wide range of viewing capabilities. This may mean appealing to the most basic browser. Generally, the slower your reader retrieves your web pages, the more important it is that you add value and usable content in fastest way possible. How you use graphics, the size of your overall pages, and the way you partition your information impacts differently depending on the speed and quality of a reader's Internet connection. .