WritingThoughts

Today’s web content tip is to watch the tone of your writing. This is a tip that applies to all types of writing, actually, but it is especially true of web content.

The tone of your writing is crucial to whether or not your message gets across to the reader. The web reader is more likely to be scanning your material or reading it very quickly. This makes misunderstandings much more likely with web content.

The wrong tone, or a perception of the wrong tone, can cause a reader to leave your website – possibly never to return.

What you can you do to check the tone of your writing? How can you make sure your writing is being received in the way that you intended?

Here are a few tips:

• Walk away from the writing. Put some time between writing an article and checking it.
• When you return to your article or post, read it like a web reader first. Scan it quickly and see what kind of impression it leaves on you.
• Read your piece aloud.
• Have a friend read it and tell you what they thought you were trying to convey.
• Look for words that might have a double meaning.

The wrong tone can creep into your writing without you even realizing it. You may think that you are writing efficiently in short, concise sentences. Your reader may think that you are being angry or rude.

By taking the extra time to consider the tone of your writing, you can retain readers.

Have you ever read something that struck you the wrong way, and then you realized that the author didn’t intend it that way?

Then, you know what I’m talking about.

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved