Therefore, writers must arrange information so readers can absorb it quickly. They scan and search for things that stand out, like bullet points and boldface phrases. People read electronic media differently than they do print. When writing for the web, it remains important to craft a well-written, informative piece, but no one will find it if it is not optimized for search engines with key phrases and associated links. However, if online writers want people to find their articles, then they must lace them with relevant terms that people will use in search engines. Print does not have to deal with search engines. However, that means links can also prevent a reader from reaching the end of an article, a problem print rarely has unless the article is simply poorly written. It may seem silly to point out, but when it comes to citing source materials, print traditionally features a list of works cited near the end, while most online posts contain links throughout so readers can easily click for more information and read the source content. Otherwise, a reader may lose patience and navigate away. So in order to maintain their interest as long as possible, all pertinent information needs to appear as close to the beginning of the piece as possible. Most articles are nested among other links, moving images, flashing ads and other clickable content that is vying for your readers’ valuable attention.
This is because the internet is highly interconnected. Online articles have to fight for a reader’s attention, even though readers generally go to an article or page intentionally.
Instead of long segments of prose, like you would see in a newspaper or magazine, the paragraphs in online articles should end after a few lines. Therefore, online articles tend to be much shorter than their printed counterparts - and that goes for paragraphs, too. Printed pieces rarely even reach their main focus in that amount of time. The average amount of time an online reader spends reading anything on the internet is two minutes. For other writers making the leap from paper to screen, there are several things to keep in mind.
Professors now teach writing students how to keep online readers engaged, so someone earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies will be well-versed in internet writing. This means writing for the web differs greatly from writing for traditional media. Thanks to the internet, people encounter so much more content than they once did - articles and informative pieces are available anytime, instantly.