Internet users don't read online, they scan. They scan in search of something to solve their problems. Reading onscreen has been proven far more difficult than reading on paper. Our schedules are busy, our task lists enormous, and so efficient organization and presentation of information for us to "scan" is key. Combine all this with the pace of life and the short user attention span, and you have a recipe for a new style of writing: writing specifically for the Web.

This article takes you through some of the thinking, tools, and techniques for Web writing that will allow people to dive deeper into your sites, understand your material faster, and gain more knowledge per second spent with your site. This type of Web writing applies equally to public Web sites, intranets, and b2b (business-to-business) or extranets, although the content and style may differ as the purpose of the site and target audience change.
 

Tough Questions
The average Internet user has a 5- to 10-second attention span. This means you must ask yourself these questions: 

• Can your site visitor get their question answered within 5-10 seconds?
• How much information, how many pages, or how much content can they can get through in 5-10 seconds?
• Can you get them sufficiently involved in your site so that they will explore further and thus solve more problems, buy more product, and basically think good things about your site and your company in 5-10 seconds?

[Complete article available in print]