8 useful insights for writing irresistible Web copy

In learning to adapt my style for the Web, I discovered “Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works,” by Janice Redish. This book—filled with practical advice and case studies—is one of the best I’ve read about Web writing. Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen says: “I must recommend that you read every word so that you can find out why your customers won’t read very many words on your website.”

For those who can’t read every word, here are a few gems from the book:

• “Most Web users are very busy people who want to read only as much as they need to satisfy the goal that brought them to the web. Good web writing is like a conversation; it answers people’s questions; and it lets people grab and go.”

• “Think of your web content as your part of a conversation—not a rambling dialogue, but a focused conversation started by a very busy person.”

• “Writing informally is not dumbing down. It’s communicating clearly. It’s writing so that busy people can understand what you are saying the first time that they read it.”