Part One – Planning: Clear thinking leads to clear writing
Essential steps in planning a professional website:
Examining how readers access web pages
Define your site’s purpose
Identify your target readership (primary, secondary and tertiary)
Tailor content and navigation to meet readers’ needs
Create an effective brief for writers and editors
Create an effective structure, with a skeleton
Break up text and use hypertext links to improve accessibility
Write a draft quickly
Assess content, style and structure, according to your brief
Practice
Part Two – Writing content: strong, clear, concise English
Identify best practice in web content writing
How to adapt hard copy for the web
When to use pdfs
Use the power of language to achieve objectives:
Write in a suitable style and tone of voice for your target audience
Use clear, concise, accessible English
nsure each section informs readers or answers their questions
Use sign-posts for accessibility
Create strong sentences and paragraphs
Make every word count
Cut jargon and ‘business speak’
Use active verbs and write strong topic sentences
Identify commonly confused words
Ensure busy readers get the message quickly:
Presentation with impact – so your site looks accessible and readable
Use headings, lists, charts, tables, case studies and images
Part Three – Reviewing: Polishing the site
Identify common errors of grammar, punctuation etc
Strategies: how to review more effectively
Practice
NB: Participants are asked to complete a pre-course questionnaire. They are also asked send their website details and to submit a three-page sample of their own web content, to use during the individual editing practice.
