c. What is plain language writing for the web and in detail and in your own words, why is it important? (4 marks)
Plain language writing for the web is using clear and straightforward language your audience on the web can pick up on easily and understand because we either get their attention or we don’t. Based on what we learnt in class, research shows that “people are busy, spending 15 seconds or less deciding on whether to engage with a page.” (Briscoe, W8 Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 3) This means that we don’t have their attention for long, plain language writing for the web ensures that our message from a dedicated piece of content can be quickly absorbed, meaning people can understand what it’s trying to convey. On the web it’s all about presenting information based on a dedicated platform that is accessible to everyone, but remembering that “the most critical details should be the first things people read” (Briscoe, W8 Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 12 ) because “visitors won’t read everything on your website” (Briscoe, W8 Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 12). This style of writing for the web focuses highly on making it simple, clear and brief because it will make the content easier to read and navigate for the user. We discussed in class that “if you write in this manner, a visitor would gain enough information to understand what you do even if they don’t make it through all the details.” (Briscoe, W8 Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 13) It’s just about getting the point across on the web because as mentioned we don’t have their attention for long and we are all fighting for eyes on our content. We want users to quickly find what they are looking for because if not, they will go somewhere else, guaranteed. In class we discussed that “plain language is appropriate for how people behave when they are interacting with content.” (Briscoe, Lecture, February 26, 2025). We can write plain language content on the web to connect with the user, and for web content this is everything. There is so much content out there and if we can make it personable, we can stand out.
“Plain language is appropriate for the medium and is consistent with the way people behave online.” Briscoe, W8 – A – Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 18) it’s not just about the writing, in this case its consistent to how people behave on the web.
Plain language writing for the web is really important for many reasons. As mentioned, people have very limited attention spans, and it’s our job to immediately tell them what a page is about through content. Plain language leverages this. We learnt that “if you create something clear and concise, you don’t have to worry about losing a reader’s attention.” (Briscoe, W8 Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 14). Plain language is a tool to help capture the reader’s attention, something we strive for in advertising and marketing. Plain language also helps with increased conversion rates. In class we learnt that “web pages afford limited word count to capture your brand voice, deliver information, and drive conversions.” (Briscoe, W8 Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 14) Meaning that when the content is clear and concise with plain language, positive outcomes can occur for a business. Additionally, its key for better SEO. We were taught that “plain language is an essential tool for improving your SEO and web content, making it more engaging and sharable for your audience.” (Briscoe, W8 Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 26). We already know that Google rewards content, plain language helps content become simple and straightforward to the user which will help our content rank higher in the end in comparison to a website that focuses on overcomplicated complex writing. Overall, plain language is essential for the most effectiveness possible. It’s important to satisfy the user because “your audience is the only reason you’re writing content in the first place.” (Briscoe, W8 Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 17) Plain language allows us to talk to the user and deliver what we need in a what which they will understand. This is why it’s very important and extremely significant especially in today’s modern age.