Using Language to Persuade Web Audiences
By Molly E. Holzschlag
Words are the foundation of communication. Even on the increasingly visual Web, a developer's words can entice, engage, and persuade his or her site audience.
As we strive to make our sites look and act sophisticated and efficient, we often forget that what we say and how we say it is as necessary to the success of our projects as the quality of our HTML, graphics, and programming techniques.
Designers must treat language as an integral part of a site's design. This means approaching each word on a page with the same intensity as you would your programming code and interface design. To do this takes some planning, creativity, and skill.
My constant mantra is "audience and intent." I'm a stickler for these elements because they're often the most overlooked or rushed-through aspects of a site's development. Knowledge of the audience shapes everything on a site, from visual design to behind-the-scenes functionality. The intent of a Web site—whether to sell, entertain, or inform—has equal influence on the way the site is designed and developed. And of course, neither of these issues can be addressed without proper planning of the site's short- and long-term goals.
Writing for the Web involves being aware of your audience and what you intend to communicate. These factors determine how the written content will be developed. We must know our audience intimately, understand our intent clearly, and be constantly aware of the way writing is integrated into our designs. Beyond that, we must also work on the technical components of Web writing—examining length of text, visual presentation, and editorial accuracy.
