Writing for the web

Everyone thinks they know how to write for the web, but since so few people actually measure effectiveness - who knows if they do?

A recent post on RWW (Best Practices For Writing For Online Readers [sic - crappy title!] ) offers some interesting models for testing. The first interesting idea is Dale's Cone of Experience:

This model stresses involving readers in engaging activities rather than simply reading words on screen. Thus blog posts accompanied by memorable images should theoretically be more memorable than text only posts, and building a culture where readers engage in commenting through the use of prompts and open questions in posts should drive deeper understanding than reading alone.

The second interesting idea is the 3-2-1 formula - for every 1000 words you write online, use:

• Three subheadings
• Two links
• One image

This strikes me as a catchy mantra and I'd like to see some evidence supporting this, but nevertheless, there are ideas worth exploring in this article.

Edgar Dale. (1969) Audiovisual methods in teaching. Dryden Press

A.J. Cann