Whetever the form, effective writing on the web is about clear communication in a style suited to the needs of page visitors, as opposed to those who would be reading something in print. Sure, this applies to blogging, but it also pertains to techincal writing (such as in download or application use directions), page content, even the mundane stuff like link titles. Whenever the written word is used on a page, it should be done so as the result of a strategy of effective online communication.

As Gerry McGovern points out:

What makes the Web the Web is the fact that it is linked. When you go to great websites, such as Amazon.com, you find yourself in an environment that is rich in links that help you quickly gather the information you need, and then act on that information. Unfortunately, far too many websites are still being used to store print content. This means that they are much less effective.

Think about it. When was the last time you picked up a newspaper and read every story on the front page? When was the last time you read everything on the homepage of amazon.com? People use different informational media in different ways, usually to accomplish different things.

That's why even the most mundane pieces of text on a web page are important. It's so easy to click away that it's downright unrealistic to expect even tight, high-impact prose to hold a reader whose surfing habits exclude digesting long paragraphs.

Take, for example, the homepage of Orange County, California's Bristol Park Medical Group. Aesthetically, it's a very well-done website. Most of the page is taken up by a feature-length article about a heart transplant saving the life of one of the group's physicians' daughters.

Why do you, dear surfer, go to your HMO's home page? To quickly clear up some annoying problem? find out where to send the check? Find an appropriate doctor? As heart-warming as that story is, who's reading it?

My solution- use a business blog. Lead with a quote from the story, then, in the link, let the reader know they're going to a blog. This will shift an interested person from scan mode to read mode, and save a helluva lot of space for design and text elements that aid ease of use for customers.

Like it or not, people are going to use the business side of the web as a convenience tool. Any writing that doesn't directly relate to solving their immediate problem will wind up as wasted work. Fortunately, as Mr. McGovern explains, the web is about links, and they are ultimately the tools to get people in the mindset to read more deeply.