Online writing may include blogging, marketing copy, website or newsletter content and they all share the need for clarity. One of the first things we learn about writing online is we have seconds to capture a reader and their attention span is short. Clear, concise writing wasn’t invented online, however, it has always been taught to writers as a best practice. Long before the Internet, George Orwell said, “If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.” 

“Wordy” writing may include repetition, overlapping meanings, or long prepositional phrases:

Word repetition in a paragraph is sometimes required for clarity but it should be kept to a minimum. In today’s digital world, we should avoid too much word repetition in the name of SEO, which results in content that is confusing and difficult to read.

Words with overlapping meanings include phrases like “the reason is because”, when one word makes the point, “because”.

Long prepositional phrases are the most common “wordy” problem, so we’ve designed the following infographic-style cheat sheet to keep us all in the proper web writing frame of mind. I’ve found just reading it over occasionally is enough to keep me focused. It’s OK to use long phrases for emphasis sometimes, but if you avoid using them habitually you will improve the clarity of your writing. 

For more help with your online copy writing, contact us today.