Third in a four-part series, "Rules for the Web"
How to Write Headlines: Web Writing for Multiple Interest Levels
By Rebecca Nero, Educational Technology Consultant
"Seventy-nine percent of Web users scan pages; they do not read word-by-word."* What can you do to be scannable? Here are some guidelines to make a whole page worth scanning:
1. Title: Clearly state the purpose of your page.
2. Summary Sentence: Influence your reader.
3. Summary Paragraph: Sell your information.
4. Headings: Make major points; be informative.
- Use your headings to create bookmarks for in-page linking.
- Appropriate headings improve page navigation as well as identify your major points.
5. Sub-Headings: Make these meaningful.
- Use one to two subhead levels to facilitate scanning and to provide additional information.
- Subheads provide access for people using screenreaders.
6. Highlights: bold type or lists bring out useful minor points.
- Use a logical process to choose what points to highlight.
- Use bold type for words or short phrases, not full sentences or long phrases.
- Help your reader gain information without reading every word.
- Help your reader scan for specific information.
7. Writing: Use an informal style that reflects your personality.
- "Honest and personal writing invites interaction and sharing, the most powerful features of the Web."*
- "The headings and minor points should not interrupt the continuity of the page. Those reading the entire page should rely on these as highlights for reinforcement."*
Nathan Wallace stresses testing your writing for readability. Check readability at every structure level: headlines, subheads, highlights, etc. Each level should make sense in itself.
For more information on Web-writing, see:
*Wallace, Nathan. "Web Writing for Many Interest Levels." May 18, 1999. http://www.e-gineer.com/articles/web-writing-for-many-interest-levels.phtml. (8 Mar 2002)
Morkes, John and Jakob Nielsen. "Concise, SCANNABLE, and Objective: How to write for the Web." 1997. http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html. (8 Mar 2002)
Trellix Corporation. "www.gooddocuments.com: How to write for the INTRAnet." July 7, 1999. http://www.gooddocuments.com/homepage/homepage.htm. (8 Mar 2002)
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