• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Wylie's Writing Tips

Improve your communications with our training, consulting, and writing services

  • Home
  • Writing training
    • Webinars | Mini Master Classes
      • Headline writing course
      • Lead writing workshop
      • Clear writing workshop
    • Workshops | Master Classes
      • Email marketing course
        • Email writing | Dec. 11-15
      • Business storytelling training
        • Business storytelling training | March 18-22
      • Past writing workshops
    • Writing training clients
  • Writing tools
    • The Power Pack
    • Rev Up Readership: toolbox for writers
    • Art of Storytelling
    • Block Busters handbook
    • Clarify Complex Copy
    • Cut Through the Clutter manual
    • Get Good at Getting the Goods
    • Jargon: Start Making Sense
    • People Power
    • Think Like a Reader
    • Think Outside the Pyramid
  • Writing tips
    • Content writing
      • Relevant content writing
        • Relevant content writing resources
        • Relevant content writing quotes
      • Creative content writing
      • Structure for content
      • Readability for content
        • Resources on blog post length
        • Quotes on blog post length
      • Scannable web copy
      • Content writing resources
      • Content writing quotes
    • Email writing
      • Why email writing?
      • Subject lines
        • Resources on subject lines
        • Quotes on subject lines
      • Target your email
        • Quotes on targeted email
      • Feature story structure
      • Short, readable emails
        • Quotes on readable emails
      • Scannable emails
        • Quotes on how to write scannable email
      • Resources on email writing
      • Quotes on email writing
    • Microcontent
      • Skimming, scanning, reading
        • Resources on skimming, scanning, reading
        • Quotes on skimming, scanning, reading
      • Bulleted lists
        • Quotes on bullets lists
      • Callouts, pull quotes
        • Quotes on pull quotes and callouts
      • Captions, cutlines
        • Quotes on captions
      • Decks, summary blurbs
      • Headlines
        • Benefit headlines
        • Feature headlines
        • Web headlines
          • Quotes on web headlines
        • Quotes on headlines
      • Links, buttons
        • Quotes on links
      • Subheads
        • Quotes on how to do subheadings
      • Resources on display copy
      • Quotes on display copy
    • Persuasive writing
      • What’s in it for me?
        • Quotes on WIIFMs
      • Write about benefits
        • Quotes on verbs
        • Quotes on benefits
      • Write to, about You
        • Quotes on ‘you’ writing
      • Quotes about persuasive writing
    • Public relations writing
      • Target readers with PR writing
        • Relevant releases quotes
      • Organize PR writing
        • Leads for releases
          • Press release first paragraph
          • Quotes on press release leads
      • Quotations
        • Quotes about public relations quotes
      • Readability for PR
        • Quotes on ideal press release length
      • Headlines, display copy for PR
        • Headlines for releases
      • Resources on press releases
      • Quotes on press releases
    • Readability
      • Why readability?
        • Information overload
          • Information overload quotes
      • Message length
        • Why short content
        • Measure A.R.T.
        • Tighten your story angle
        • Resources on writing short content
        • Quotes on writing short content
      • Paragraph length
        • Quotes on paragraph length
      • Writing with statistics
        • Quotes on writing with statistics
      • Sentence length
        • Resources on short sentences
        • Quotes on good sentence length
        • Quotes on how to write a simple sentence
      • Passive voice
        • Quotes on the passive voice
      • Word length
        • Quotes on short words
      • Jargon
        • Quotes on jargon
      • Adjectives & adverbs
        • Quotes on adjectives & adverbs
      • Readable
        • Resources on readability
        • Quotes on readability
      • Conversational copy
        • Quotes on conversational business writing
    • Storytelling and creative writing
      • Concrete details
        • Why concrete details?
        • Types of concrete detail
        • Quotes on concrete details
      • Description
        • Quotes on scent
      • Human interest
        • Quotes on human interest
      • Metaphor
        • Why use metaphor?
        • Complex copy
        • Creative comparisons
        • Simplify stats
        • Cut clichés
        • Metaphor writing
        • Resources on metaphor
        • Quotes on metaphor
      • Storytelling
        • Why is storytelling important?
        • Find stories
        • Storytelling research
        • Elements of storytelling
        • Storytelling structure
        • Resources on storytelling
        • Quotes on storytelling
      • Wordplay
        • Alliteration
          • Resources on alliteration
        • Balance
        • Coin a word
          • Resources on coin a word
          • Quotes on coin a word
        • Quotes on the etymology of words
        • Rhyme
        • Rhythm
          • Quotes on using rhythm in writing
        • Twist of phrase
        • Quotes on how to use wordplay
      • Resources on creative copy
      • Quotes on creative copy
      • Quotes on boring copy
    • Type of articles
      • Case studies
      • Listicles
      • Tipsheets
    • Web writing
      • Why writing for the web?
        • Quotes on why writing for the web
      • Above the fold
        • Quotes on above-the-fold content
      • Tight web copy
        • Quotes on tight web copy
      • Scannable web copy
        • Quotes on scannable web copy
      • SEO for writers
        • Quotes on SEO
        • Quotes on SEO for releases
      • Quotes on crafting good web writing
      • Writing for mobile quotes
    • Writing
    • Writing process
      • Creative process
        • Quotes on creative process
      • Read like a writer
        • Resources on how to become a better writer
        • Quotes on how to become a better writer
      • Writing process
        • Prewriting
          • Research your story
            • Research quotes
          • Develop your story angle
          • Organize your piece
          • Quotes on prewriting stage of writing
      • Writing templates
        • Quotes on writing templates
    • Writing structure
      • Feature story structure
        • Why features structure?
          • Why feature structure?
        • Feature structure examples
        • Feature leads
        • Nut graph
          • Quotes on nut graph
        • Background section
          • Quotes on the background section
        • Body
          • Quotes on the body
        • Conclusion
          • Quotes on how to write good endings
        • Transitions
          • Quotes on transitions
      • Other story structures
      • Quotes on story structure
  • Writing newsletter
    • Current issue
    • What others say
    • Archives
  • Blog
  • Calendar
  • Why us?
    • About the trainer
    • Contact Ann

What are the right words for the web?

Show instead of tell, and keep terms short

Want to make your webpage more usable?

What’s that you say? Short, concrete familiar words are easier to read and understand.

Choose better words, suggests Jan H. Spyridakis, author of “Guidelines for Authoring Comprehensible Web Pages.” She suggests that you select words that are:

1. Concrete. Show — V8 engine, for instance — instead of tell — high performance. When you choose concrete words, readers:

  • Read more quickly and accurately
  • Remember more of your ideas
  • Understand your message better

2. Short. Short words — those of one or two syllables — are easier to recognize and understand.

3. Familiar. Write in the language of your readers, not in the language of your organization.

Spyridakis calls out the Seattle Mariner’s’ webpage. With 5.2-character words, it’s just 39% readable:

Located in Center Field on the Main Concourse, the Moose Den provides our younger fans an opportunity to meet the Mariner Moose periodically during each Mariners home game. Photo opportunities are provided for all guests.

Instead, write:

Get your picture taken with the Mariner Moose! Visit the Moose Den in Center Field at the Main Concourse at the next home game.

With 4.2-character words, that’s 85% readable. And that’s better web copy!

How can you increase reading on smartphones?

It’s 48% harder to understand information on a smartphone than on a laptop. So how do you make your writing style easy to understand — even on the small screen?

Reach Readers Online — our web-writing workshop on Oct. 23Learn how to write readable web pages that don't overwhelm mobile readers at Reach Readers Online — our web-writing workshop starting on Oct. 23.

You’ll learn proven-in-the-lab best practices for increasing web page usability up to 124% … how to pass a simple test for writing paragraphs visitors can read on mobile … and how to avoid making visitors “visibly angry” at verbose sites that waste their time.

Save upto $100 with our group discounts.

Register for Reach Readers Online — our web-writing workshop on Oct. 23
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Email
  • Print

Primary Sidebar

December 07, 2023

Think Inside The Inbox - Ann Wylie's email-writing workshop, starting Dec. 11

Save up to $100 with our group discounts.

REGISTER NOW
  • Tell your story in 47 secondsTell your story in 47 seconds: Plus: the 3-sentence email rule
  •  4 steps to a perfect email 4 steps to a perfect email: Try this tip for promotional messages
  • Write for your 51-second audienceWrite for your 51-second audience: 4 ways to reach your email recipients
Archives

Wylie Communications, Inc. logo
    Training
  • In-house writing workshops
  • Public writing workshops
  • On-demand training
    Tools
  • Learning tools
  • RevvingUpReadership.com
  • Free writing tips
Subscribe to our ezine
Upcoming Workshops

Think Inside the Inbox - Ann Wylie's email-writing workshop on Dec. 11-15

Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's storytelling workshop on March 18-22

Rev Up Readability - Ann Wylie's clear-writing workshop on Sept. 9-13

© Copyright 2023 · Ann Wylie · All Rights Reserved
May not be duplicated and shared without author's permission. Contact us.