Technical writing is not just about writing documentation. Learn how you can use the basic writing skills you already have to write effectively for the web.

1. Beyond the Manual:
Writing for the Web
Ellen Buttolph
Rochester Chapter

2. It’s Not Just About the Manual

3. Using Plain Language
“What is plain language?
Information you can find, understand, and use.”
Center for Plain Language
http://centerforplainlanguage.org/
3© Ellen Buttolph

4. Center for Plain Language
4© Ellen Buttolph

5. Why Use Plain Language?
When you write in plain language, you
create information that works well for
the people who use it, whether online or
in print.
Center for Plain Language
http://centerforplainlanguage.org/
5© Ellen Buttolph

6. The Plain Writing Act of 2010
The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires the federal
government to write all new publications, forms,
and publicly distributed documents in a “clear,
concise, well-organized” manner that follows the
best practices of plain language writing.
Signed into law by President Obama on October 13, 2010.
6© Ellen Buttolph

7. What is Plain Language?
Not just about the words.
7© Ellen Buttolph

8. Know Your Audience
• What are their needs?
• Why are they visiting your web site?
• How can you help them?
8© Ellen Buttolph

9. Use Personas
9© Ellen Buttolph
• Personas help you focus on
the users’ goals and needs.
• Make sure they match
users in the real world
• Create scenarios for your
web site
• Ask yourself: "Would Mary
use this?” or “Would John
do that?”

10. Use Personas
http://stcbok.editme.com/PersonaMarciaHouston
10© Ellen Buttolph
“Personas are fictional
characters created to
represent the different user
types within a targeted
demographic, attitude
and/or behavior set that
might use a site, brand or
product in a similar way.”
Wikipedia.com

11. Speak to Your Audience
“Good web writing is like a conversation.”
Ginny Redish
Letting Go of the Words
11© Ellen Buttolph

12. Write How You Speak
• Speak directly to your
readers
• Use pronouns like
you, us, we
• Don’t be afraid to use
contractions
• Be positive
12© Ellen Buttolph

13. Start a Conversation
13© Ellen Buttolph

14. Implied Conversation
14© Ellen Buttolph

15. Use Active Voice
• Active voice makes it clear who is doing what.
• Passive voice uses a form of the verb “to be”
(am, are, is, was, were, be, been) with the past
participle of the main verb.
15© Ellen Buttolph
Active Voice Passive Voice
Submit your claim within 30
days.
Your claim should be
submitted within 30 days.
Complete and submit your tax
return by April 15.
Tax returns must be
completed and submitted by
April 15.

16. Using Voice and Tone
“Our voice makes us unique, and our tone
makes us sound like humans. “
Kate Kiefer Lee
“Tone and Voice: Showing Your Users That You Care”
UX Magazine
• Voice is your brand – it expresses your website’s
personality.
• Tone is a subset of voice, and is based on your
audience or situation.
16© Ellen Buttolph

17. Define Your Voice and Tone
• Create a list of 4 or 5 personality traits for your
audience.
• Write sample text
• Read what you write out loud. Does it sound
like you are writing for users, or at them?
17© Ellen Buttolph
We are: We are not: Writing Tips Sample Text
Helpful Bossy Be conversational.
Be practical and
specific.
We’ll send you an email to remind
you to change your password.

18. Voice
18© Ellen Buttolph

19. Tone
• Voice is consistent, while tone can change.
19© Ellen Buttolph

20. Formal and Informal
20© Ellen Buttolph
Formal Informal
No contractions (can not) Use contractions (can’t, won’t)
No imperatives (You must
submit the form.)
Imperatives are short and
clear (Submit the form)
No abbreviations Common abbreviations
Impersonal - use third person
(one, he)
Personal - speak to the reader
(you, I)
Write long sentences that
contain full arguments
Write short sentences (10-20
words)
Use scholarly, complex words Use short, simple words
Passive voice allows you to
keep the sentence impersonal
Use active voice

21. Informal Tone
http://www.temple.edu/studentaffairs/housing/jump-page/parents-and-family/
21© Ellen Buttolph

22. Voice and Tone
MailChimp Style Guide: http://voiceandtone.com
22© Ellen Buttolph
User
Says
User
Emotion
Example
Response
Writing
Tips

23. Main Point First
Focus on what’s important
23© Ellen Buttolph

24. Main Point First
People DO read online.
But they scan FIRST.
Then decide to read more.
24© Ellen Buttolph

25. Main Point First
Main Point
Supporting information
Less important
information
25© Ellen Buttolph

26. 26© Ellen Buttolph
Layer Information

27. Layer Information
• Bite: a headline with a message
• Snack: a concise summary
• Meal: the entire document
“The Bite, The Snack, And The Meal:
How To Feed Content-Hungry Site Visitors ”
– Leslie O’Flahavan, E-WRITE
http://ewriteonline.com/articles/2011/11/bite-snack-and-meal-how-to-feed-content-hungry-site-visitors/
27© Ellen Buttolph
Bite, Snack, Meal

28. Use Space Effectively
• Break information into small chunks
• Add white space
28© Ellen Buttolph

29. 29© Ellen Buttolph
Use Lists

30. Make It Easy to Scan
• Busy readers don’t have time
to read it all
• The F pattern of web reading
• Image Nielsen Norman Group, http://www.nngroup.com/articles/f-shaped-
pattern-reading-web-content
30© Ellen Buttolph

31. 31© Ellen Buttolph
Avoid the Wall of Words

32. Write Simply
“If you can’t explain
something simply,
you don’t understand
it well.”
- Albert Einstein
32© Ellen Buttolph

33. Keep It Concise
“Concise means minimal. Not short.”
Marcia Riefer Johnston
Author of Word Up!
http://www.slideshare.net/IntelligentContent/write-tighter-rieferjohnston
33© Ellen Buttolph

34. Keep It Concise
• Write sentences that are between 10 to 20 words.
• Write paragraphs, that are less than 100 words.
34© Ellen Buttolph

35. Avoid Wordy Text
35© Ellen Buttolph
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
FAQs updated January 18, 2013
150 words, 3 sentences: 35/81/35
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3a4dbc4b04499310VgnVCM100000082ca6
0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=3a4dbc4b04499310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

36. Use Common Words
36© Ellen Buttolph
Don’t Write: Write:
Instruct Tell
Receive Get
Assist Help
Facilitate Help
Utilize Use
Subsequent Next
Approximately About

37. Cut Excess Words
37© Ellen Buttolph
Don’t Write: Write:
A number of Several
Is able to Can
Be responsible for Must
In order to To
On a monthly basis Monthly
At this point in time Now
Subsequent Next
Approximately About

38. Omit Words
“17. Omit needless words.”
William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
The Elements of Style
Steve Krug
Don’t Make Me Think
38© Ellen Buttolph

39. • Put the action in verbs, not nouns
• Simple present is the strongest verb tense
• Don’t use hidden verbs
39© Ellen Buttolph
Use Strong Verbs
Strong Verb Hidden Verb
Apply Make an application
Decide Make a decision
Analyze Perform an analysis
Reduce Make a reduction
Approve Give approval
Purchase Make a purchase

40. Avoid Jargon
• Choose non-technical terms.
• Some jargon is good if you are writing for a specific
audience and it helps communication.
• Only use acronyms and abbreviations if they are well
understood, such as USA.
40© Ellen Buttolph
Jargon Acronyms
Best in class CMS
Henceforth COB
Leverage synergies NGO

41. Use Meaningful Headings
• Headings are like signposts. Write useful
headings.
Not Helpful Helpful
41© Ellen Buttolph

42. Let your users read your
content before sending
them to other pages.
42© Ellen Buttolph
Use Meaningful Links

43. Degree Seeking Students
You receive a TU Gmail account after you pay your tuition deposit or Graduate Matriculation Fee.
Instructions for activating your account at https://accounts.temple.edu are e-mailed to the e-mail
address you indicated on your application to Temple. Note that you will need your nine-digit TUid
to complete the process.
Non-Matriculated Students
After you have met with an advisor and registered for classes, your AccessNet account information
and instructions for activating the account will be mailed to your home. If you did not receive this
information, visit the Help Desk or other CS location for assistance.
Employees
Temple University offers two types of e-mail accounts for employees: TU Gmail and Microsoft
Exchange. The type of e-mail is based on departmental preference, however, both types of
accounts receive an @temple.edu e-mail address.
As an employee, you are eligible for e-mail one business day after you have been entered into the
HR payroll system. By default, you will receive a TU Gmail account when your AccessNet account is
created. If your hiring manager determines that you need a Microsoft Exchange account, he/she
must submit a request to TUhelp that includes your AccessNet username. Computer Services will
then create the Exchange account.
Note: Before submitting a request for a Microsoft Exchange account, the hiring manager must
verify that you have activated your AccessNet account on the Account Management website.
43© Ellen Buttolph
Don’t Overuse Embedded Links

44. Plain Language and Accessibility
“Plain language is all about
accessibility—making information
understandable for everyone.”
an Interview with Ginny Redish
A Web for Everyone: Designing Accessible User Experiences
Sarah Horton and Whitney Quesenbery
http://rosenfeldmedia.com/blogs/a-web-for-everyone/universal-plain-language-an-interview-with-ginny-redish/
44© Ellen Buttolph

45. Consider Visual Design
“Good writing combined with good
visual design can improve the quality of
the communications people
experience.”
Karen Schriver
STC Intercom, “Plain Language and Information Design”,
February 2014
45© Ellen Buttolph

46. Information Design
STC Intercom, February 2014
“Plain Language and
Information Design”
Guest editor:
• Karen Schriver
Authors:
• Susan Kleimann, Barbara Kingsley,
Kristin Kleimann
• Kathryn Summers, Michael Summers,
Amy Pointer
• Deborah S. Bosley
• Robert Linsky, Sheryl Kay
• Josiah Fisk
46© Ellen Buttolph

47. Use Visual Cues
• Colors
• Images
• Headings
47© Ellen Buttolph
• Fonts
• Graphs
• Tables

48. Be Aware of Emotions
“People read not primarily with their
intellect or logical brain, but far more
with their emotional brain.”
Deborah Bosley, “From Chaos to Clarity: Overcoming
Negative Emotional Responses to Financial
Information”, STC Intercom, February 2014
48© Ellen Buttolph

49. Writing for Mobile
49© Ellen Buttolph
“See, there’s no such thing as “How to write for
mobile.” There’s just good writing. And the same
principles that these articles are telling you about
tips to write for mobile, those are the exact same
tips we gave to people to tell them how to write for
the web, and they are the exact same tips that we
have been telling people for decades about how to
write good, professional communication. “
Karen McGrane
The Mobile Content Mandate
http://karenmcgrane.com/category/mobile/

50. Writing for a Small Screen
• Chunk your content
• Use a small screen template
– For an example, see “Word Up! By Marcia Riefer
Johnston
• Responsive design means you don’t know the
size of the screen!
© Ellen Buttolph 50

51. Review Your Content
• Read your work out loud.
• Read a section at a time.
• Read each word.
• Consider each word.
51© Ellen Buttolph

52. Cut and Organize
• Eliminate passive voice
• Eliminate redundant words
• Transform groups of 3 to lists
• Cut
• Cut again
52© Ellen Buttolph

53. Review and Edit
“Examine every word you put on paper.
You'll find a surprising number that don't
serve any purpose.”
William Zinsser
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
53© Ellen Buttolph

54. Resources
• Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works, Janice (Ginny)
Redish
• The Yahoo Style Guide, Chris Barr and the Senior Editors of Yahoo
• Word Up!, Marcia Riefer Johnston
• A Web for Everyone, Sarah Horton and Whitney Quesenbery
• STC Intercom, “Plain Language and Information Design”, February 2014
• CenterforPlainLanguage.org
• PlainLanguage.gov
• Plain Language Association International, plainlanguagenetwork.net
• Content Strategy for Mobile, Karen McGrane
• VoiceandTone.com, MailChimp Style Guide
54© Ellen Buttolph

55. Thank You!
@ebuttolph
55© Ellen Buttolph