Writing for the Web

Users want to find what they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible. Web-oriented writing and editing are essential for optimal content delivery.

Key Concepts

1. Omit non-essential words. Users don’t read — they scan.
2. Use “inverted pyramid” writing style: start with the point, then support it, using links for more in-depth details.
3. One idea per paragraph.
4. Make sure that content near the top of the page is interesting enough to encourage users to scroll down for more.
5. Categorize content according to users’ needs, not by departmental organization or hierarchy.
6. When creating links in body copy, highlight only the words that most accurately describe the destination of the link. Never use “Click here.”

Do

1. Use language that is as clear and simple as possible.
2. Facilitate scanning with headers, bullet points, lists, and captions.
3. Provide links to related and additional detail.
4. Use an active voice: “The company published the book.”

Don’t

1. Expect your visitors to read everything.
2. Put everything on one page.
3. Use a passive voice: “The book was published by the company.”
4. List items in a paragraph to save room.

Consistency of Style

The only Web constant is change. Stylistic debates continue (“Is it E-mail, e-mail, or email?”). Style manuals will help, but the most important style and usage point, one that cannot be emphasized enough, is consistency. You must adhere to the style you choose.

Virginia Tech Style Guide

University Relations has produced a Style Guide that addresses many stylistic issues you are likely to encounter in Virginia Tech-related communications. Standard university terminology is found here. If you have any questions regarding reference to a specific university entity, confirm information directly with that entity, in the university’s printed faculty/staff/student directory, or through the University Relations University Publications group at (540) 231-9054 or csquare@vt.edu.

Copyright Issues

Copyright protects expression — your expression and that of others. All original expression is eligible for copyright protection as soon as it is fixed in a tangible form: In fact, almost all original expression is protected as soon as it is expressed. Virtually everything you can upload and download on the Web is protected by copyright.

Items NOT eligible for copyright protection include:

• Ideas
• Facts
• Titles
• Names
• Short phrases
• Blank forms

While it’s easy to download and copy files (text, photographs, graphics, sound, movies, etc.) from the Web, you must have permission from the copyright holder to use them on your own Web pages (or anywhere else). Under the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the university is obligated to take appropriate action if it receives a complaint that copyrighted material is being published over our network without permission from the copyright holder.

Copyright notice on your pages