Last Updated on July 18, 2024 by Asfa Rasheed
There is a tremendous amount of advice on how to write web content that is available on the Internet. Unfortunately, most of them are difficult to apply. Indeed, it takes weeks, even months, to learn how to properly use metaphors, storytelling, etc. In this article, I give you 7 easy-to-use tips that will make your web content easier to read. In addition, it only takes a few seconds to learn and apply them.
So how do you learn to write?
Table of Contents
1. Abuse line breaks
When writing to communicate on paper, each additional line costs money.
But on the Internet, we don’t have the same constraints when it comes to writing web content. Therefore, when writing for the web, you can and should use the “Enter” key as you wish. There are 2 main ways to use a line break.
Cut out paragraphs
Keep paragraphs shorter.
Put forward only one, 2, or 3 (sic) ideas per paragraph. Then start your paragraph with the most difficult idea to understand and continue with the next idea (s).
So any reader who reads your text will automatically understand that you are broaching a new idea. It’s unconscious and everyone understands it very quickly.
Focus on a particular point
If you have an idea you want to highlight, add a line break at the end. So you subconsciously give it more weight. And at the same time, it improves the effectiveness of your talk.
2. Make sentences short
Learn to make sentences short. Short sentences make web content much easier to understand. Therefore, if you use shorter sentences, you make your text much easier to read and understand.
Want to know which sentences are too long?
Use the free Yoast plugin for WordPress. It is free. In addition to his great SEO tips, he highlights your hard (if not really hard) to understand phrases, as well as points out other issues. Bonus: Yoast also scores your content which determines the level your readers need to be in order to understand you. Also to make the sentences short and cut out paragraphs you can use online tools for rewriting content, you can use https://paraphrasingtool.site to get you started.
3. Convince more easily with the 3-point rule
I’m not sure exactly why, but we all love the number 3.
For example :
- The 3 suspension points,
- It’s a Belgian, an American and a French who buy a car …
- The good, the bad, and the ugly…
You noticed: I gave 3 examples! Use this simple rule in your writing:
- Use 3 words,
- Give 3 examples,
- Add 3 adjectives …
Of course, we must be wary of abusing it. But if you are listing choices in lists, then without hesitation try to point out at least 3!
4. Never assume your first draft is good
Do you know the difference between a normal author and a great author? It’s the ease of being able to modify your work. No one can write a perfect text the first time.
In addition, writing content for the web that is easy to read is extremely difficult. It takes a lot of effort and time. To learn to write for the web, you need to edit your text several times:
- Remove superfluous words,
- Fine-tune good ideas that are not highlighted enough,
- Cut out your sentences, …
Then edit it again. It is true that it is extra work. But this is the only way to make your text more readable and more convincing.
There is also another advantage: by learning to proofread your content, you will progress as a copywriter for the web. Force yourself to identify what you could write differently and you will start to do it automatically.
5. Involve others
As a copywriter, it’s essential that you tell other people about your writing.
So why not use them to enhance your writing style? Engage in conversations with other writers and ask them to correct you. A priori, this will give you valuable advice and you will also build a relationship with other bloggers – which can be extremely useful on the other hand, especially for getting backlinks.
But to write better, don’t stop there. You can also improve your writing with your social media contacts. So try to federate a network of people on the many social platforms that you meet regularly.
6. Identify good reviews
It is extremely easy to criticize a text. Obviously, the crude foundry remarks are not constructive. They can even be hurtful.
So how do you react to criticism?
First of all, it is out of the question to ignore it. Because you will lose a precious source of feedback to improve yourself. Instead, I advise you to ignore most and only keep the ones that repeat themselves, especially if it’s from different people. In this case, start paying attention to it. If after reading several different articles, someone says to you:
- “You use too much jargon”,
- “Your sentences are too short”,
- Or “your language is too poor” …
Then surely you need to revise your text to make it clearer or to use better-adapted words. This way, you only consider helpful comments that will make you a better copywriter.
7. Take a step back before posting Web Content
I know it might be:
- Trying to write at the last minute,
- Annoying to have to hear that a third person has time to reread you,
- It’s frustrating not to upload immediately.
Instead, let your text “sit” for a few hours (or even days). Thus, you will take a step back by forgetting what you have just written. And you can focus on what you actually wrote. By giving your text a few hours of respite, you will more easily distinguish typos and other grammar errors that may have crept in. In this way, you will learn to correct yourself on your own. You will also make fewer and fewer mistakes, as your eye will practice chasing them away. My advice: write your text a day before its publication, then “sleep” on it. The next day, reread it twice before pressing the “publish” button:
- The first time to check the consistency and clarity of your text,
- And the second is to focus only on spelling.
It is not that difficult!
To conclude on how to write web content
Here’s the bad news: Writing web content is a skill.
Like any skill, you have to practice it over and over again to progress. These quick tips to implement won’t make you a great writer. But they can help. And by doing so, you will have fun writing, and even make you write more often. It is essential. Indeed, this way, you allow yourself time to practice writing. This is exactly what you need to do to be good at it. Believe me, time and time again I have become discouraged. I even stopped – for shorter or longer periods of time.
But I’ve documented myself, read articles similar to this one, and they’ve given me several great tips to use. Then I started writing again. I always forced myself to achieve what I am today – a professional writer who can work anywhere, and even, like now, in my underwear on my couch. To go further, find out how to get your readers hooked. This article on web writing is not as fun as I initially imagined. But I hope you picked up 2 or 3 quick tips that you think are easy to implement. If so, then I won my bet. It’s already that!
