On a Web site, people look for words or phrases that could lead them to what they are looking for, such as "how to apply" or "scholarships." Keep this in mind while considering the following tips.

Write short sentences

People who visit your site are scanning, the more concise your text is, the easier it is for them to navigate. Keep it short and to the point.

Use short paragraphs

It is much easier to read text online if it is broken into short paragraphs. Most of the time, paragraphs should be no more than 50 words. On the Web, there is no rule against a one-sentence paragraph. For examples, check out the stories at News Center or Update.

Use subheads

Bold subheads, like the ones you see in this article, help break up the text and make it easier to read. Divide your article into topics, and label each paragraph by topic.

Try to make your subheads short and, if possible, incorporate verbs or action words. Doing so will capture your reader's attention.

Watch for bullet points

If you find yourself listing a lot of information in a paragraph, go back and bullet the information so it appears as an easy-to-read list. Check out the Degree in 3 Web site for an example of bullet point use, or this article from the Graduate School.

Use simple, jargon-free language

Write with your audience in mind. If prospective students will be using your site, write for a sophomore in high school. This means using simple language without a lot of jargon, or words only people you work with will know.

For example, many prospective students don't know what the bursar office is. In this case, it would be best to use an alternate phrase like "the office in Lucina Hall where students pay for classes." Yes, it is longer, but more understandable to your audience.

The "You" word

It is okay to say "you" in web writing. Talk directly to people visiting your site. It helps make your site feel personal. Instead of "students can contact us anytime," write "you can contact us anytime."

Prompt people to act

If you want people to take some kind of action, such as submitting an application, point the site visitor to the action you want them to take.

The Degree in 3 Web site is a good example of prompting site visitors to act. It clearly explains that interested students can choose from a list of majors. It also has prominent links for students to sign up to the program.

Create user-friendly links in text

Avoid putting links in an article that aren't clear about where they will take the person who clicks them. For example, if you want to link to another article, don't just say "click here" and put a link to the article. Tell them where you're sending them.

For example, make "Apply to the program" as the linking words instead of just "click here." This way people don't have to guess about where you are linking them, and will be more likely to actually go where you are asking them to go.

This is especially true with links that go to places other than another Web page, such as email links or links to PDFs. Label these things with what they are. Put "(PDF)" after a PDF link. Label links to email addresses. This allows your site's visitors to have some control over where they go.