For most projects and programmes, your website will be the first entry point for the
majority of your stakeholders looking for information about your activities. Setting
up a website or adding web pages to an existing site is also a relatively easy way to
communicate your activities and news. A simple site, using off-the-shelf software, may
be sufficient for most projects.
On your website, you should provide news updates on your activities, upload photos and share other content your users might find interesting. There are however a few tips and tricks you need to remember when
writing for your website.
A header you can choose to use, a simple example of a wireframe – a basic layout
or the skeletal framework of your website – and a template for writing
for web are provided in part 2 of this manual.
WRITING FOR WEB
Web writing is different from writing for print or internal (organisational) writing. Most people scan web
pages instead of reading every word, and reading on screen is slower than reading a printed page. And the
more familiar people are with the internet, the better they are at filtering out uninteresting content. So you
need to get to the point faster – present relevant information earlier and more simply.
TIPS FOR WEBSITES
›› etting up Google Analytics for your page (it is free) gives you valuable information about your
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website users. You can see who visited your site, how long they stayed on individual pages,
what link they followed to reach you, and more.
›› f you set up web pages on an existing site about your project, make sure you place a visibly and
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easily accessible link or banner on the front page of the website so that people find your project
information.
›› ake sure you add a link to the website of the EEA Grants and/or Norway Grants:
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www.eeagrants.org / www.norwaygrants.org.
COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN MANUAL
WEBSITES
›› emember to notify your programme operator and national Focal Point about your website
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or web page address.
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Check that your website domain name (the URL address) is not already taken.
It should be unique, so that search engines can distinguish it, but also easy to type/remember.
›› here are many online platforms and solutions for creating simple websites and advice on how
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to fill the pages with content.
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FF Shorter is better: keep web pages to half the length of a paper equivalent.
FF Concise information: short paragraphs with ideally one idea in each.
FF reak up information: use meaningful sub-headings for long pages and break up your texts
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with bullet points.
FF Be credible: objective content is better than hyped marketing language.
FF Active voice: use actionable language not the passive voice.
FF Tenses: where possible write in the present tense to reduce the need for updating.
FF PDFs: use converted downloads for info that dates quickly or is very detailed.
FF Write to be found: for search engines to find you, use strong key words in titles.
FF Fonts and format: avoid clever formatting, colours, capitals, underlines, or italic.
FF Links: hyperlink keywords (not ‘click here’) in the text and ‘more info’ section.
FF Be logical: try to think like your users and what they need.
FF Be accurate: always check your work for mistakes and do not rely too much on the
spell-check function of your software.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, are free and easy-to-use
tools to communicate directly with your target audiences and provide a great platform
for you to share photos, updates and anecdotes about your project or programme. Using
social media also enables you to share information with people who are not regular
visitors to your website.
Using social media provides a valuable ‘multiplier effect’. By sharing information, such as news about an
open call for project proposals or an upcoming event you are hosting, you enable people who find it interesting to share the news with other people again. For example, when people become fans of a Facebook
page, ‘like’ or comment on a post on the page’s wall, this is shared with their networks on Facebook.
Social media can also be a way of getting people to visit your website if you share a link to a news item
you have published. Sharing content from your website on social media also increases your search engine
ranking through in-bound links (other websites referring to yours).
You can also enable people to share content they read on your website by setting up social media tools on
your site using, for example, Addtoany’s ready-made tool. Icons of popular social media appear under a web
article/page so visitors can ‘bookmark/share/save’ the content.
EEA GRANTS • NORWAY GRANTS
CHECKLIST FOR WEB WRITING