How to Write for an Online Audience That Hates to Read

Why People Pay Little Attention Online

...biggest reasons is cognitive load. People face so many distractions. ...we need to reduce their cognitive load.

How to Reduce Cognitive Load in Copy

...write online copy is to approach it as if our readers have a cognitive disability.

Watch the Words You Use

• Use plain language. The kinds of words we use in everyday conversation.
• Use numbers like 1 and 2 instead of writing the numbers out – like one or two.
• Write in short sentences. Include only one idea in every sentence.
• Use active language. For example write, “John loves Mary” not “Mary is loved by John”.
• Other than full stops use the smallest amount of punctuation possible.
• Use bullet points to break up difficult information. But keep your bullet points simple.
• Do not use jargon.
• Do not use abbreviations like “don’t”. Instead, write “do not”.
• Do not write too much. Think about what your reader must know.