Writing Tips


Writing for the Web is different than writing for print. Some people who are very good at writing for print don't do well with Web writing. It's because they try and be too creative with styling text.

1. Use bold sparingly

It's ironic, but if you use bold too much than nothing stands out! It's OK to use bold sometimes, but be careful not to overdo it.

2. Do not underline text

Only words that are hyperlinks should be underlined on a websites. If you underline something that's not a link it will confuse people and they'll try and click on it.

3. Do not use all capital letters

On the Web, using all capital letters is the same as shouting. If you are using all caps, is it really your intention to be shouting at your readers?

4. Do not use color text

Did you know that 10% of men and around 1% of women have some form of color blindness? If you use colored text they may not be able to read it. Also, colored text often indicates a hyperlink. The easiest text to read on the Web is black text on a white background.

5. Do not use special fonts

The easiest text to read on the Web is a "sans serif" font. Using special fonts or font sizes can quickly make your website look confusing and unorganized. It's best to just use the standard plain font and font size.

6. Do not use special indentation

On a typewriter or word processor there is a "tab" key, but there's no tab on a website. If you try to tab or indent text it may look funny or not work correctly.


Most people visit websites to quickly get information they need, and then they quickly leave. Keeping text plain and simple makes it easier to scan a page. It also helps maintain consistency across school websites, and is always in good taste.