Web Writing Tips: Ugly Formatting Scares Readers

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Have you ever clicked to read an article but clicked back away because of the way it looked? The info may have been good. But the organization likely scared you away. That’s how your readers may feel too if your formatting is ugly. Ugly formatting scares readers away.

Split up sections. Have you ever tried to read a post that consists of what looks like one giant paragraph? Don’t do that to your readers. This a very classic and common example of ugly formatting. Find a way to split up your thoughts into sections. This way readers can easily find and understand all of your points.

Use bold headings. Bold headings are one way to avoid ugly formatting. It helps to split up thoughts in an organized way. You can put these headings above each paragraph or as sentences, like I’ve done here. Either way, it helps make things look neat so that readers can easily scan over what you have to say.

Use bulleted points. Bulleted points can organize an otherwise out-of-control paragraph or section. Try this trick to avoid having ]ugly formatting. If your thoughts seem all over the place, this is a simple way to pull it together. Separate thoughts that go together into sections and use bullets to illustrate the points.

Avoid run-on sentences and unnecessary statements. Extra information that doesn’t need to be there can add to ugly formatting. If your content is all over the place with thoughts, it will be all over the place with organization. Make statements clear, concise, complete, and relevant. Cut down on anything that doesn’t need to be there to make your point.

Be consistent. If you’re going to use bulleted points or bold headings, keep your sections as consistent as possible. Organization gives a better reading experience. It’s okay to have one section that uses bullets when another doesn’t. But be sure it’s done in a neat fashion. For instance, sections with a bolded heading should be about the same size and number of words each.

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