We are all Tech Writers Now: Three Steps to Clear Writing for the Web

Take some tips from technical writing that will make your ideas clear and persuasive in the brand new reading environment of the web.

Print media puts the reader in the passenger's seat. Imagine if you don't want a character to die? Imagine if  write for us technology  don't just like the direction the story has taken? Traditional reading is linear--you start at chapter one and you visit the end, without detours in between.

Instruction manuals have always been different. Who reads instruction manuals from beginning to end? Instead you dip involved with it, try something, and if that doesn't appear to work, flip several pages backward or forward and try again.

Now the internet has turned into a huge manual where in fact the reader can move around at will--technology has stolen authorial control. You will need to expect your readers to jump around. To reach your goals, whatever you write for the web has to follow the same three rules that technical writers use:

Write in Chunks

Readers pick and choose. Recognize that your audience isn't expecting a story--they have specific goals. Points must be self-contained and clearly marked to help them find what they're searching for and move ahead. Respect your reader's time--don't make sure they are eat the sundae when all they need is the cherry.

Follow a Structure

You can structure your content by category, rank, location--but there has to be a structure. By organizing your details you are giving your reader a tool that lets them find what they're looking for and skip what they don't need. If you can't find a structure that works, you should define your points more clearly.

Connect it Together

You can't force your reader to check out the path you've set for them, nevertheless, you can give them access to information that supports your message. Avoid being afraid to link, both to resources outside your document also to pages in it. Your role is to help them achieve their goals; point them towards resources that help them do that.

Like technical writing, the web is about helping people find information. Adopt some of the principals of technical writing in your own work to create it get results.