Writing for the web is different to writing for print. Even though the Internet has spawned some of its own languages, lolspeak among others, generally the same rules for spelling and grammar apply - so what is different?

Why is writing for the web different?
The answer to this question lies in the way people use the internet. Most people are quite task-oriented when they are online. They are looking for specific information, quickly. This explains the popularity of search engines. Certainly, people do use the internet for reading news and entertainment too - but even these formats have changed from their traditional media.

A print publication that is just duplicated on the internet does not do well. It's important to understand what your audience want, and to give it to them. This is the easiest way to make sales and garner traffic.

One of the clear differences between reading hard copy and web content is physical - reading off a screen.

The physical difference and the challenges of reading off a screen raise a number of usability considerations. Naturally, one's writing style also needs to adapt - information rich and concise copy is what sells.

Other than being more difficult to read than printed copy, the context in which your readers are engaging with your content is usually different.

So while the "is he the one" quizzes in certain women's magazines may appeal to young aspirant and upwardly-mobile women in their down-time, the same does not necessarily translate well to the online space while they're at work.

Is content still king?
The expression "content is king" gets used frequently in web circles.

This statement really needs to be qualified. I would say "quality content is king" - because at the end of the day people do not judge websites by their size or volume of content, but rather by the value they derive from it.

Very frequently less is more when it comes to online content.

Think about the purpose of the content
As Gerry McGovern writes in his book Killer Web Content, the cornerstone of good copywriting is good thinking. So think slowly. When you are writing marketing copy for websites - regardless of the product - clear, simple copy is what will convert consistently.

A website, although it does not necessarily constitute "internet marketing" in itself, is just one of the channels which companies, and indeed people, can use to build brands, make sales and influence people. Let's not forget that eMarketing is still marketing, so the same rules apply.

AIDA - Attention, Interest, Desire, Action are still the basis of the sales process. How is it possible to do all of these effectively with long winded sales copy?

So how does one write enticing and engaging web copy? Well, it starts with knowing your audience and what they care about.

These days, with increasing fragmentation and segmentation, niche interest groups are rife. People want what they want, everything else is just noise. This is possible because the internet gives audiences such abundant choice. So, now more than ever, the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional push media does not work when it is applied in the online space.

A few tips for writing killer web copy
The first one applies to offline writing too and is probably just general good practise; use verbs rather than adjectives to describe things. In 'harder' journalism, writers try to be objective by avoiding descriptive or overly-loaded words altogether, but when you are marketing a product or service it's acceptable to get descriptive. Using verbs to paint the picture is far less cumbersome than loading text with superfluous adjectives.

Remember to talk about features rather than benefits. This allows your audience to relate more easily to whatever it is you're selling. What's the difference? Well a feature could be something like a 10x optical zoom, whereas a benefit might be something like "you can take pictures of wildlife while maintaining a safe distance".

Less is more. Short sentences are easier to scan and process. One of the best copywriting rules, which I was reminded of by @pamsykes recently, is that when you feel that you need to write more to explain what you've just written - perhaps consider going back and rewriting the whole sentence.

Don't misinterpret short copy as a sign of laziness. It's far more difficult to write concisely and make a point than it is to use lots of words. It was Mark Twain who said "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." Writing is a craft and it takes skill and practice to master the art of brevity.

Check your spelling and grammar. Although some platforms such as blogs and social media have lead to new incarnations of the English language, it's best to conform to standard English. This of course depends on the context and audience, but as a general rule of thumb, correct spelling and grammar does lend itself more to credibility.

Make it scan-able. These days, people are time starved and information hungry. Visitors assess a page in a matter of seconds to determine whether or not it's what they're looking for.

Avoid metaphorical language; it tends not to translate well. It's highly probable that non-first language English speakers will be accessing your content, whether in its original English or using translation software. Either way, metaphors can often be confusing and misinterpreted.

Similarly, it's best to write in the active voice as much as possible. Simple and straightforward word order is most accessible.

Observing these simple guidelines will greatly improve the quality of your online output.