Despite the fact that we are in the Information Age and the Internet has positioned itself as one of the primary communication tools worldwide, there are still manifest deficiencies in the abilities to communicate through the web. Most of the people who write well for printed material, do not know how to communicate creatively and persuasively through the web, since they do not know the behavior of that mystery being that has intrigued thousands of web entrepreneurs: the Internet reader.
Many people would love to earn money writing for the Internet. They know that the primary language on the Internet is the written language, despite the advent of audio and video on the web.
Let's face it: we are in the Computer Age and the Internet is here to stay. It is a powerful communication tool that has transcended the physical, social and cultural borders of our planet. In the specific case of business management, it has allowed us to reach a globalized market with products and services that were once confined to a specific geographic area.
Consequently, the ability to communicate creatively and persuasively through the web is highly valued. However, many times texts of excellent quality are found on the Internet that are overlooked, while other texts, of less informative value, capture the attention of their visitors.
Why are these texts so unattractive to their readers, if they have such high-level content?
Forget your language teacher
The problem is that its authors do not know the basic foundations of writing for the Internet. They apply the knowledge they have to present their knowledge through printed material, without knowing that other rules apply on the Internet that our language teachers did not teach us.
It is no longer enough to have an ease with languages and excellent skills in communicating with words. You have to know how to present them properly on the Internet. Don't think for a minute that your "offline" writing is going to grab the attention of your online readers.
When it comes to writing for the web, it's dangerous to assume that your readers will be dazzled by your writing. The reality is that most people who will visit your text will not be willing to read everything you write. They will scan the content with a fleeting glance and, if nothing catches their attention, it is very likely that they will move away with a click of the mouse never to return. Unless you know how to retain them.
I present to you the internet reader
To capture the attention of your readers on the web, it is important that you understand the difference between a reader who reads printed matter and a reader who reads on a screen. It has been shown that almost 80% of people walk the screen with their eyes without reading them.
This is due to the following 4 factors:
- They read 25% slower
Reading from a screen tires the view much more than reading printed matter. So the web reader reads about 25% slower. The internet reader is not passive
The internet reader is more active. You want to click links and search for more information instead of reading an article from start to finish. Always ready to go
Every time your reader searches for a topic on the web, you'll be presented with thousands of different options. Each page must compete for the reader's attention with millions of other pages. Your readers don't know if the page you offer contains the information they are looking for or if there will be a better one. Therefore, they have a tendency to want to keep looking. You don't want to waste time unnecessarily
Modern life is fast and people do not want to make a big effort to obtain the information they are looking for. They are already tired of receiving so many emails in their jobs. They don't want to spend unnecessary time on a web page.
That is why it is so important that anyone who wants to communicate with their readers in a virtual way, knows how to present their information so that their readers do not abandon their text.
Anyone who wants to be successful on the web, whether it is providing a service or running their own business, needs to know the basic fundamentals of how to write for the Internet.
