While perusing Introduction to Online Journalism by Roland DeWolk, I came to some important things to keep in mind when writing for the web, so I thought I’d post them here. True to today’s “I-want-my-news-now-and-quick!” mentality, I sifted through the book’s 205 pages to glean its gems for you (and for my own personal reference). Here are the essentials, as paraphrased by moi:

• Be wary of animated gifs and videos. Sure, that frolicking bear is cute, but does it really lend anything to your story? Only include videos and animations that help tell the story. If that moving image says enough to spare you an additional 250 words (or more) of additional copy, then by all means, include it!
• Brevity is key. Keep it short and entertaining, or people will “X” out of your page before you can show off your sweet skateboarding accident slide show.
• People don’t “read,” they “scan.” Our eyes immediately search for the “nuggets” of a story, or the parts that will intrigue us.
• Make your point even faster than you would in print. It’s a miracle for people to spend more than 60 seconds looking at an article online.
• Think e-mail, not investigative clip. I especially have to keep this in mind. People don’t like to see loads of text, and they especially don’t want to have to scroll all the way through it. Break it up into sections for a greater ease of use, or simplify your speech even more than it already is. (Save the diatribes for your research papers!)
• Connect the dots of your story and photos. The human brain favors images to words, so your words will resonate better with readers if they reference the photos in your story. (It will be clearer in their minds.)
• Use pageturners! Or, in our case, link-clickers. End your story in such a way that it leads the reader on and makes him/her want to know more (and click that link to go to the next page).
• Just like high school, people will stereotype your web site. Its presentation will determine what people expect from your web site, just as people expect to be entertained with gossip and scandals by glancing at Star magazine’s cover, or expect serious news and educational features from Time’s rigid front page design. In order to create an effective web site (no matter what you aim on covering), keep these tips in mind:
  • Make sure there’s one central, eye-catching element on each page. (Like a dominant photo or banner across the top of the page.)
  • Eliminate any overwhelming elements on the page that distract visitors from the main point of the page. Our eyes stop on the biggest, most colorful part of the site, and you must decide what you want that object to be, and why it should be that.
  • Like print journalism, have a DOMINANT feature. Don’t let your readers scour the page, looking for something to focus on (they’ll be more apt to get overwhelmed that way).
  • Visual hierarchy: mix up the sizes/weights of photos and graphics in a story, lest you once again confuse your visitors.
  • Choose complimentary colors.
    • Time to bust out the color wheel:
    • Rather than explain the various color schemes that could work well together, check out this handy informational table.
    • Colors/tones should upkeep the mood and point of view of the story. (Remember, just because your story is somber doesn’t mean the page has to be doom-and-gloom shades of gray. That could just as easily turn your visitors away, if it’s visually unappealing.)