1. Analyzing Your Audience
Writing for the Web
The Internet Writer’s Handbook 2/e

2. Contents
Evaluation questions
Techniques

3. Evaluation Questions
The Internet Writer’s Handbook 2/e

4. Evaluate Your Audience
Age
Sex
Spending level
Education
Familiarity with topic
Internet skill
Computer skills
Platform
Browser
Nationality

5. Evaluate Users’ Needs Who are users?
What do users want from your site?
Do they want direct or indirect benefits?
How often will they visit site?
Do users need to be attracted to site?
How are they accessing the site?

6. Questions to Ask: General
Primary/secondary readers
Age range
Position/title
Technical background

7. Questions to Ask: General
Knowledge of technical terms
Attitude
Educational level
Reading level
Nationality/native language

8. Techniques
The Internet Writer’s Handbook 2/e

9. Techniques for Lower Audiences
Use a simple style: short words and sentences, simple sentence structure
Use conversational style
Use personal pronouns
Define terms
Ask questions
Use examples
Use comparisons

10. Techniques for Lower Audiences
Use graphics
Add info they need and omit info that will confuse
Pick an appropriate organization
Provide options to access different sections

11. Audience Type: General
Informal tone
Personal style
Common words
Definitions
Short, simple sentences
No theory
Photos and line drawings

12. Audience Type: Advanced
Formal style
Technical language
Longer, complex sentences
Theory
Footnotes & bibliography
Illustrations & diagrams

13. Style Variations Depending on Audience
Word choice and length
Use of terms, acronyms, jargon, abbreviations
Sentence and paragraph length
Use of personal pronouns

14. Example: Accommodating Different Audiences