Tag
Writing
62 posts with this tag.
Your homepage intro paragraph is probably backwards
Most homepages bury the essential information in sentence three. Start with what people came to find out.
Button text should match the action you're confirming
When your confirmation dialog asks "Delete this page?" and the button says "OK," users hesitate. Match the verb to close the gap.
Field labels need a verb when the field isn't obvious
A noun alone works for "Email" or "Phone." Everything else requires instruction.
Stop apologizing in your confirmation messages
Users who just completed an action don't need reassurance that you're sorry for the interruption. They need confirmation of what happened.
Error messages need specific recovery instructions
Generic error copy forces users to guess what went wrong and how to fix it. Your error message should tell them exactly what to do next.
Menu labels belong in user vocabulary, not yours
Navigation reflects how your team talks about content, not how users think about finding it. Fix that before you publish.
Alt text describes the image, not the metaphor
Writing alt text isn't about explaining what your image represents — it's about describing what's actually visible in the frame.
Empty states need their own interface copy
When a page has no content to display yet, what you show matters more than the layout waiting to be filled.
Placeholder text teaches users to ignore your interface
When every field shows example content before anyone types, people stop reading what's actually there. Placeholder text becomes invisible faster than you think.
Excerpts aren't summaries of everything the post says
An excerpt sells the click. A summary recaps what someone already read.
Link previews show what you chose to highlight
When you share a URL, the preview card pulls from your meta tags. Control what shows up before someone else does it for you.
Scheduled publish dates require a rollback plan
Setting content to go live at a specific time isn't just a calendar event. You need a documented process for pulling it back if something changes.
Preview text isn't optional for email newsletters
The line that shows up next to your subject line in an inbox does work whether you write it or not. You should write it.
Define your content types before you write content
A content type is a template for similar pages. Decide what fields each type needs before anyone starts filling them in.
Inline examples belong in help text, not field labels
Field labels identify what users enter. Help text shows them how to format it.
Copy link text from the page it points to
Your link anchor should match the destination page's actual heading or title. Inventing paraphrase just creates friction.
Label your form sections before you add the fields
Form sections with clear labels help users understand what you're asking before they start filling things out. Name the section, then build what goes inside it.
Inline links need surrounding context, not just anchor text
You can't write a useful inline link without writing the sentence around it. The anchor text alone won't carry the meaning.
Subheadings announce content, not curiosity
A subheading that makes readers guess what's next isn't clever — it's friction. Write the summary sentence, then trim it to fit.
Your CMS rich text editor isn't a word processor
Stop treating the WYSIWYG editor like Microsoft Word. The formatting buttons you ignore now determine whether your content survives template changes, mobile layouts, and CMS migrations.
Heading hierarchy isn't negotiable typography
Skip an H-level and you've broken the document outline, regardless of how it renders. Screen readers, search crawlers, and accessibility audits all rely on proper nesting.
Body copy isn't the place to introduce your page
The first paragraph of your page should do work, not warm up. Start after the introduction you think you need.
The em dash doesn't make your sentence more sophisticated
You're using em dashes to join thoughts that shouldn't be joined. They're not a substitute for structural decisions about how sentences relate.
Draft mode means someone else will publish it
If you're the only person working on your site, draft mode might be hiding a workflow problem you don't actually have.
Write the page title before you write the page
The title isn't decoration you add at the end. It's the constraint that keeps everything else on track.
Search result snippets aren't auto-generated magic
Most CMSs let search engines pick whatever text they want for your result snippet. That's a choice you made by leaving the meta description field empty.
Set character limits before users hit them
Field-length constraints aren't validation failures. They're decisions you make visible while someone is still typing.
Write button labels that complete the user's sentence
Button text should finish the thought your interface started. If users have to guess what happens next, your label failed.
Tag taxonomy before you tag a single post
Your CMS will let you create tags on the fly. That doesn't mean you should.
Write error messages before the error happens
You can't write a decent error message in the moment someone breaks something. Draft them during setup, when your head is clear.
Validation messages that tell users what to fix
Error messages that say "invalid format" waste everyone's time. Write validation copy that points to the actual fix.
Decide what happens when users leave a field blank
Every form field on your site needs a plan for what happens when someone skips it. That plan is content work, not a developer problem.
Alt text for people who won't see the image
Write descriptions that work when the image doesn't load, not captions that assume it did.
Empty states are instructions, not decoration
What your CMS shows when a field or section is empty shapes how people use it. Write those moments like documentation.
Placeholder text is a prompt, not an example
What you put in empty fields shapes what people type. Most placeholder text just wastes the opportunity.
Write meta descriptions people actually click
Meta descriptions don't affect rankings, but they affect whether your ranked page gets the click. Write them like you're competing for attention, not keyword density.
Section breaks signal shifts, not just visual rhythm
Readers need structural cues to know when you're changing gears. A section break isn't decoration—it's a visible promise that something new is starting.
Mark your required fields before users start typing
Required field indicators work when they appear before the user makes a decision, not after. Visual consistency prevents form abandonment.
Paragraph breaks are structural decisions, not pauses
Most writers treat paragraph breaks like breath marks in sheet music. That's backwards—breaks are load-bearing structure that controls how readers process information.
Write the boring sentence that makes the next one work
Good web writing needs setup sentences that don't dazzle. They hold the door open so the important line can walk through.
Write the list item before you decide it's a list
Formatting content as a list too early obscures whether the items belong together or even need bullets at all.
Footer links are last-resort navigation
If people need your footer to find something critical, your main navigation already failed. Treat footers as cleanup, not strategy.
Write headings before you write the section
Most people write the paragraph first, then add a heading to label it. Reverse the sequence and the work gets easier.
Consistent terminology beats clever synonyms
Using different words for the same thing doesn't improve your writing. It confuses people and breaks their search attempts.
Publish schedules reveal how you actually work
Your editorial calendar isn't aspirational decoration. It's infrastructure that either matches your team's real capacity or creates friction you'll blame on laziness.
Stop writing introductions that repeat the heading
Your first sentence should move the idea forward, not restate what the reader just read in larger type.
Content chunks that actually chunk
Breaking content into sections isn't just visual spacing—it's a structural decision that determines whether your page can be scanned, understood, and used.
Link text that survives getting skimmed
Most people never read the sentence around your link. Write anchors that work in isolation or stop pretending accessibility matters.
Preview mode is for checking your work, not doing it
If you're writing in preview mode, you're letting visual polish interrupt your thinking. Draft with the CMS tools that keep structure visible.
Your style guide doesn't need a tone section
Most small sites waste time documenting voice when they need usage rules. Write down decisions that prevent inconsistency, not aspirations.
Captions are part of the image decision
If you can't explain why an image is on the page, you probably don't need it. Captions force that honesty.
Sentence length variation isn't a style choice
Monotonous rhythm makes people quit reading. Mix short and long sentences on purpose, not by accident.
Navigation labels are interface copy, not branding
Your navigation isn't a place to be clever. It's wayfinding infrastructure that fails the moment someone has to guess what a link does.
Subheadings that actually subdivide
Most subheadings just restate the topic. Good ones show structure, set expectations, and let scanners jump straight to the part they need.
Draft in plain text, format in the CMS
Separating writing from formatting reduces friction and produces cleaner content. Write first, structure second, style never.
Page titles for people who don't read your nav
A page title needs to work when someone lands there from search, a link, or a bookmark — without any surrounding context. Here's how to write titles that orient people instantly.
Content templates aren't forms to fill in
Templates should guide decisions, not replace them. Here's how to build content templates that actually improve consistency without flattening everything into Mad Libs.
The second paragraph is where you lose people
Your intro hooks them, but paragraph two is where readers decide if you're worth their time. Here's what actually keeps them reading.
Edit for the person who arrives at 4pm on Friday
Your reader is tired, distracted, and has six other tabs open. If your page demands their best attention, they'll leave.
Build pages people finish
If the reader bounces at paragraph two, the page did not fail at SEO. It failed at being a page.
Write for scanners without lying
Scannability is not clickbait. It is honest labeling of useful sections.
The editing pass that ships
Stop polishing forever. Use a brutal checklist once, then publish.