Writing on the Web vs. Writing on Paper

Writing on the Web and writing on paper have similarities as well as differences. To start, when writing on the web it is much more challenging than writing on paper. This is due to a few things, but mainly concerns the individual that is reading whatever it is that you are sending. They do not have a "paper copy" in front of them, which usually means that the message on their computer screen is expected to get the point across to them quickly and efficiently without loads of effort needing to be put into the thought process.

Writing on paper is a bit different. Usually, something that is given to you, in hard copy form, is expected to be thoroughly analyzed so to speak. It is usually intended to have time spent focusing on the important ideas as well as taking into account all other content. Things written on paper are more thought-out and more formally written due to this.

Aside from the differences, there are similarities between the two. A few of the most important are that your purpose and audience need to be understood, your subject needs to be carefully researched, your thoughts need to be organized, you should use plain language, and your text must be free of grammatical and typographical errors. These things apply to both Web and print forms of writing.

There are a few things that you should focus on when transferring a document formerly read on paper to the Web. These include things such as organizing your content so that your key points and conclusions appear first, along with having accurate content that is backed by supporting evidence which should be expressed to your audience in an appropriate tone. Another thing would be to break up dense blocks of text into shorter paragraphs that follow the inverted-pyramid method. Lastly, you could hyperlink other important information that you may not necessarily want to include in the main points so that it is available to your audience at the click of a mouse.