Writing Well for Online Readers: Essentials for Writing in Plain Language

Description

If you’re a web content writer, manager, or editor, this course will provide you with what you’ve often said you need: practical guidance on writing plain language web content, examples of effective content, and uninterrupted time to write. This hands-on course introduces you to the principles of web writing. You’ll learn how to explain the business value of writing well for online readers and strategies for assessing whether your content is paying a high return on your investment of time. You’ll also be introduced to a range of web writing resources including style guides, content case studies, websites, conferences, and online communities.

During this course, you’ll revise your own web content. You’ll have the chance to share your work with the instructor and other course participants. You’ll receive practical, focused feedback.

What You'll Learn

You’ll learn how to write plain language web content that is:

• Task-oriented
• Appropriate for its intended readers
• Repurposed for online readers, not print-based (PDF)
• Concise
• Scannable
• Hyperlinked
• Findable by search engines

Who Should Attend

Anyone who writes, manages, or edits online content.

What to Bring

Your own web or intranet content to work on during the course. You will have ample time to write and edit during the course, so please bring several pages or an entire section of your site that needs revision. You will receive feedback on your revised content from the instructor and course participants.

About the Presenter

Leslie O'Flahavan is a co-founder and partner in E–WRITE. With E–WRITE, Leslie has helped thousands of people learn to write well for online readers. She has delivered customized writing courses for customer service agents, help desk staff, web content contributors, marketers, executives, demographers, county government employees, activists, federal employees, and teachers! 

Leslie helps agencies publish usable web content written by a broad range of contributors and develop web writing style guides to govern content writing. This year, E–WRITE has developed an Editorial Style Guide for the Energy Information Administration and an online web writing course for the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Leslie is a frequent presenter at web content conferences and has been an Internet Best–In Class award judge for 3 years. She is the co-author of Clear, Correct, Concise E–Mail: A Writing Workbook for Customer Service Agents.