writing

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2005 January 30 • writing

Bad Copy

article: An Example in the Negative: How NOT to write for your Web site

2005 January 30 • resources, writing

Writing a FAQ

article: Every product needs a FAQ, apparently, so you might as well learn how to write one.
[credit: Usable Help]

2005 January 22 • resources, writing

Creating a Style Guide

article: A good two-part article that shows how to create a simple style guide to ensure that the copy on your website (or email) is consistent over time. Includes lots of useful links.
[credit: reachcustomersonline]

2005 January 22 • writing

Summaries

article: How to write summaries for web and intranet pages, and why.
[credit: elearningpost]

2005 January 14 • e-mail, writing

Poor E-mail Usability

article: Many organizations are plagued with poor email usability. This is defined as anything that slows down the actual comprehension of the email message.

2004 December 17 • writing

Trigger Words

article: The importance of using the right words in hyperlinks: "Trigger words are the words and phrases that trigger a user into clicking. They contain the essential elements to provide the motivation to continue with the site.
[credit: elearningpost]

2004 December 2 • writing

The Editing Process

article: A succinct guide to being succinct. Reducing the number of words you use makes your writing easier to read and friendlier.
[credit: Usable Help]

2004 November 28 • resources, tools, writing

Readable Pages

tool: Part of making a website accessible is to use plain language. Get the readability score of any website by using this free online tool. Measures: Kincaid, ARI, Coleman-Liau, Flesch, Fog, Lix. Check average sentence length and many other statistics.
[credit: Writing for the Web]

2004 November 25 • process, writing

Content Management: Whose Job Is It Anyway?

article: Addresses the role of a content manager and the process of content creation.

2004 November 25 • seo, writing

Natural Keyword Use

article: Do you write fake copy? Keyword-rich copy can raise search engine rankings, but only if it's not forced.

1. Vary keywords and phrases. What alternatives might searchers use?
2. Read copy out loud. Would you say this to a customer?
3. Breakup key phrases by using all the search string words in a sentence, in the same order but with minor breaks in between.
[credit: CC-Tnewsblog]

2004 November 23 • writing

Triage Editing

article: Not enough time to edit documents thoroughly?

  1. Create short, intuitive headlines and subheads
  2. Maintain a sense of flow
  3. Kill the gray blobs
[credit: elearningpost]

2004 November 14 • writing

Short vs. long copy

article: Marketing Experiments Journal tested short vs. long copy and, surprisingly, found that long copy significantly outperformed short copy, but with a few caveats. [credit: UI Designer]

2004 November 9 • writing

Caption Writing

article: The Nine Commandments of Caption Writing. [credit: xBlog]

2004 November 5 • writing

Secrets of great web headings and summaries

article: "Your website success will increase the better you write headings and summaries. People are very impatient, so the heading and summary really needs to be compelling. Here are some key tips for writing better headings and summaries."

2004 October 26 • writing

Web content management depends on trust

article: "You must be able to stand over everything that is published on your website and say that it is all accurate and up-to-date. Trust is a fundamental building block of professional web content management." [credit: InfoDesign]

2004 October 22 • process, writing

Using Personas to Create User Documentation

article: "Personas and other user-modeling techniques are often solely discussed as tools for product definition and design, but they are useful tools in other arenas, as well. Technical writers responsible for creating user documentation can benefit greatly from a well-defined persona set, too."

2004 October 9 • writing

Does Your Online Writing Have What It Takes?

article: "To get the most from your online writing, make sure it's relevant, persuasive and laid out effectively"

2004 September 26 • business, writing

Four Steps to Better Online Communications

article: Focused on helping nonprofits understand some of the basics of communicating on the web. [credit: Common Craft]

2004 September 19 • writing

Bulleted Lists: The Online Writer’s FriendBulleted Lists: The Online Writer’s Friend

article: The bulleted list can be an excellent tool to enhance readability and comprehension – if used with care.

2004 September 19 • writing

six rules

list: On-Line Writing Advice from George Orwell