Writing for the web

Introduction 

How people read on the web

People read differently on the web compared to on paper.

They will scan web information, rather than reading every word, looking for what they need. Research shows that people only actually read 20 to 28% of a webpage.

Website users will also read in an F-shape pattern. They scan across the top of the webpage, then down the left side and across to find what they need.

This means your content should be written so people can easily scan it. Users should be able to understand the information without having to read every word in order.

Reading age 

Applying a reading age to content tells us how hard it is to read. The higher the reading age, the more difficult it is to understand.

There are many readability tests, such as the Flesch-Kincaid readability test.

Many website users have a low reading age. This may be due to poor literacy skills, or because English is not their first language.

You can make sure the content is easier to read and understand by writing simply and concisely. Simple writing makes content easier to understand for all users, not just those with a low reading age.

For suffolk.gov.uk we aim for a reading age of 9 to 11 years old.

Plain English

Write content simply, using plain English. This will make it easier for people to understand your information.

Plain English means using short, simple and familiar everyday words. It avoids long words, technical language or jargon, which is vague and unspecific.

For example, this sentence is full of jargon: 'We engage in horizon-scanning to anticipate future growth of demand for services.'

You could instead write it in plain English: 'We plan for who might need to use our services in future.'

If you need to use legal, medical or other terms only known to specialists, explain what it means using plain English.

You can check the clarity of your writing using Hemingway Editor.

Jargon to avoid

• agenda (unless it's for a meeting)
• deliver (pizza and letters are delivered, and services are provided)
• dialogue (we speak to people)
• drive (you can only drive vehicles; not schemes or people)
• foster (unless it's children)
• horizon-scanning (more likely you’re planning for future needs)
• impact (as a verb)
• progress (as a verb – say what you’re actually doing)
• strengthening (unless it’s strengthening bridges or other structures)
• tackling (unless it's rugby, football or another sport)

A longer list of words can be found on the gov.uk website.

Everyday word alternatives

• ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’
• ‘about’ instead of ‘approximately’
• ‘working with' instead of ‘collaborating with’
• ‘begin’ instead of ‘initialise’
• ‘talking to’ instead of ‘engaging with’
• ‘changes’ instead of ‘modifications’
• ‘many’ or ‘several’ instead of ‘multiple’
• ‘put in place’ instead of ‘implement’

Writing techniques

Inverted pyramid

The inverted pyramid is a practice where you put the most important information at the top of the webpage.

The pyramid shape reflects that your writing should go from the broadest facts down to the smallest details.

For example on an 'Apply for a school place' page, information about:

• how, when and where to apply should be at the top
• how we process applications should go at the bottom

Front-loading

The way people read online means you should 'front-load' page titles, sub-headings and bullet points. This involves putting the words people are scanning for at the left of the title, heading or bullet.

Example: 'Roadworks in Suffolk', not 'Find out about roadworks in Suffolk'

Tone of voice

Our tone of voice is:

• authoritative - we are government and can be trusted
• clear - we use simple, everyday language
• concise - we only include what we need to tell people
• consistent - our tone is the same across every page
• neutral - we're not overly casual or chatty
• specific - we use precise language, such as 'must' for legal requirements

Websites are not conversational mediums. They are different to how we might communicate with a user on webchat or social media.

Example: 'You can contact us', not 'give us a ring'.

Active voice

Write using the active voice. It's clearer and more direct. Avoid passive language.

Example: 'Report a pothole online' is active; 'Potholes can be reported online' is passive.

You can find out if your writing is active or passive using the Hemingway Editor.

Address the user

Refer to the user as 'you' where possible. It helps make content clearer.

Example: 'You can apply using the portal', not 'Applications can be made using the portal'.

When to use 'we'

You can refer to Suffolk County Council or a specific service as 'we' if it's clear who 'we' are.

Users can arrive at a webpage from anywhere. So be clear in your title, summary and first paragraphs if 'we' are the whole council, a directorate or specific service.

Contractions

Use positive contractions such as 'you're' and 'we'll'.

Do not use negative contractions such as 'can't' or 'don't'. These are harder to read, and users may misunderstand them.

Using contractions does not make your content unprofessional or too casual. It's an everyday way of speaking that makes content feel more natural.

Disability

Some tips for writing disability-related content:

• Be consistent – try to avoid slipping into a patronising tone
• Use appropriate terms (‘disabled people’ or ‘people with disabilities’, not ‘the disabled’)
• Avoid medical labels – they reinforce stereotypes of disabled people as ‘patients’
• Be mindful – many people don’t consider themselves ‘disabled’, but identify as having a ‘health condition or impairment’
• Stay positive - avoid phrases like ‘suffers from’ or ‘confined to’ which suggest pain and victim status; use ‘has [condition or impairment]’
• Write normally – aim to create content for disabled people in the same way you would for everyone else

Sentences and paragraphs

Shorter sentences are easier to read.

Here's an example of a sentence that's too long: If a sentence on your webpage is over 25 words in length, try editing it into two or more shorter sentences without any unnecessary words included.

Instead, you should write: 'Sentences over 25 words are too long. Edit long sentences into two or more shorter sentences.'

Separate two sentences using a full stop, not a semicolon.

Concise paragraphs are also easier to read. Try to break up long paragraphs into a series of short paragraphs.

Sometimes a paragraph can be a single sentence.

Behaviour nudges

Nudges are psychological techniques used to shape a person's behaviour.

They've been used by companies for a long time. Now they're increasingly being used in the public sector, for example: to encourage better health choices.

We use behavioural nudges to manage the user journey on suffolk.gov.uk.

There are many reasons we might want use behavioural nudges. For example, to encourage people to contact us online. This saves money compared to phone calls.

Examples of nudges:

• '80% of people report a problem using our online tool' - emphasising online is the norm
• 'The main way to pay is to use the online portal' - establishing digital is the default
• 'If you apply by post it'll take longer to hear back from us' - here there's an incentive of quicker response
• 'By contacting us online you help us spend more on front-line services' - this appeals to ego of having a positive affect on society

Nudges are not a 'dark art' if used for the right purposes. Our aims for nudging people are ethical and justified.

Research shows that nudges can work even if we're told we're being nudged. This means you can be transparent with users, and let them know why we are trying to shape their behaviour.