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Email and Web Page Writing
A brief guide for email and web page writing. If you have any questions or would like to explore this area further, please contact the Office of Communications and Public Relations.
Copyright on the World Wide Web
Copyright is alive and well on the Internet. This applies to text, photographs, clipart and other images, and even web site layouts. So when in doubt, don't copy! Read more about it (these links open in a new window:
Email
Writing an email is very similar to writing a memo on paper. Several principles apply in both cases:
- Use the subject wisely. Like the title of a memo, use your email's Subject to indicate your message topic. Example: "Weekly Staff Meeting" instead of "meeting."
- Be clear in your message. Unless you have been in contact previously, it is better to fully explain a question or topic in your email. Don't assume your audience will know what you mean.
- Spellcheck. Spellcheck again. Although email can be a casual means of communication between friends, messages sent to colleagues and constituents should remain professional.
Web Page Writing
Kathy Henning, a prolific web site copywriter since 1997, sums up Web writing best:
"...the Web isn't about communicating with grandeur. It's about communicating with speed."
 Most web site visitors want to find information quickly and easily. Consider the following statistics from Sun Microsystem's guide, Writing for the Web:
- 79% of users scan the page instead of reading word-for-word
- Reading from computer screens is 25% slower than from paper
Six expert tips for creating "scannable" text: (adapted from Jakob Nielson's paper)
- highlight keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
- use meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones)
- create bulleted lists
- present one idea per paragraph
- try the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
- edit down to half the word count (or less) than conventional writing
Still have a lot of information to share? Try formatting your text with one of these techniques:
- Break it down into logical sections, and use one web page for each section. List the links to each section on your homepage, like a table of contents.
- Introduce several topics on one page with summary paragraphs. End each paragraph with a link to the full text on another web page. (Consider how most news web sites list summaries on the front page and provide links to separate pages that contain the full articles.)
(Note: Some links on this page point to sites outside of www.cnu.edu. CNU is not responsible for the availability or content of external sites, nor does CNU endorse, warrant or guarantee the products, services or information described or offered therein.)
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