Writing for the Web
Unlike a novel or a scholarly article, websites need a simple writing style because people skim websites instead of reading them. Typically, people only look at 20% of the words on a page.
How can you make your website easier for users to digest?
Be concise
Say what you need to say without using more words than you must.
Write simply
Use short, easy-to-understand sentences instead of long, complicated ones.
Avoid “marketingese"
Use neutral language instead of language that tries to make something sound better than it is.
Use the “Inverted Pyramid” style of writing
Put the most crucial information at the beginning and the least important later.
Use keywords
Use familiar words to describe your topic. Use unique words or abbreviations sparingly.
Use headings
Use short but descriptive headings and subheadings to help readers find information quickly.
Break up ideas into different paragraphs
Use several short paragraphs instead of one long one.
Make your text skim-friendly
Use bulleted lists instead of long lists of text.
Highlight only as necessary
Use bold to highlight important points, but do just what is necessary.
Use the proper case
Use sentence case instead of uppercase, and only use bold to emphasize important points.
Make links easy to identify
Ensure all links look the same, and don’t underline any text since it might be mistaken for a link.
In Summary:
The best way to write for a website is to use simple language, accurate information, and a logical flow of content. Use headings and subheadings to break up long blocks of information, and use bulleted or numbered lists to make information easier to skim. Before posting, proofread content to avoid grammar and spelling errors. Content should be interesting and relevant to the target audience. Finally, avoid customizing the look and feel of the site page.
Post Accessible Files
When posting a link to a Word document or PDF on your website, you’ll want to ensure that your files are accessible before you upload them to the Media Library.
Accessible Microsoft Office Documents
- Microsoft’s Rules for the Accessibility Checker
- Microsoft’s Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities
- Microsoft’s Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities
- Microsoft’s Make our Excel documents accessible to people with disabilities
Accessible Adobe PDFs
- WebAIM’s PDF Accessibility
- Adobe’s instructions on creating and verifying PDF accessibility
- Microsoft’s Create accessible PDFs from a Microsoft Office document
Use Links Appropriately
Firstly, you should ensure links to other pages or websites are working. Next, link text should make sense out of context and give users an idea of where they will go when they click the link. Link text like ‘click here’ is uninformative and especially unhelpful for users using assistive devices). The link text should be short; try not to use the entire URL for the link text.
Links should be the only underlined text on a page. If you use an image as a link, the image’s ‘alt’ description should contain where it will take users by clicking.
Use Tables Appropriately
Website tables should be used to present tabular data only and not to control the layout of your page. If you need to present tabular data, then tables need to be appropriately formatted in the HTML so that users can successfully navigate and derive meaning from the tables on your website.
Mindful Use of Color and Contrast
Users with color blindness or difficulty perceiving contrast may have trouble distinguishing between different colors. Therefore, it is essential to be mindful of your website’s use of color and contrast. Don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning, direct navigation, or differentiate between items. Ensure you have sufficient contrast between the color of the text and the color of the background. If unsure whether you have sufficient contrast to meet accessibility standards, use a third-party resource such as the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker.
Other Recommendations for Accessibility
- Type text in sentence case. Do not type your content in all caps unless it’s a short acronym, as some screen readers will read the letters individually.
- Avoid flashing, flickering, blinking, or otherwise animated images. These can sometimes trigger seizures in some users.
- Ensure your carousel allows users enough time to read the text on each slide.
- If you’re embedding a form or widget from a third-party site, it must be accessible or provide an accessible alternative.
- You are responsible for ensuring that any code on your website, such as an embed, meets accessibility standards.
Conclusion and Other Resources on Web Accessibility
Try to increase your understanding of the experiences of people with different types of disabilities. Use a screen reader to listen to your website. Or check out some user story videos from W3C.
As always, if you have any questions about what you can do to make your web content more accessible, feel free to check out the resources below:
- Accessibility Basics from Usability.gov
- Easy Checks - A First Review of Web Accessibility from W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
- Principles of Accessible Design from WebAIM: Introduction to Web Accessibility
- How to Meet WCAG 2.1 from W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
- W3C Accessibility Principles
- WCAG 2.1
- Create Accessible Video, Audio, and Social Media (Section508.gov)
Social Media Accessibility
In addition to making your websites accessible, there are also things you can do to make your USCA social media accounts accessible as well. Check out the below resources for more information.