Let’s say you need a new webpage. Not a whole new website, just a page for your existing site. Maybe it’s time to update “About Us,” or maybe you have a new project or product to promote.

You write some paragraphs about this new thing or pick up language from the project proposal. You paste it into your web template.

And the result is as dull as plain tofu. Even you – the project owner, the person who feels passionate about the initiative – can see that the page is long and boring.

That’s because you haven’t followed the 10 commandments of web writing.

Web users are in a hurry. They don’t read; they scan. They spend maybe 10 seconds deciding whether your page is worth their time.

The 10 commandments of web writing enable you to grab users’ attention in those crucial 10 seconds.

1. Clearly state what you want users to know or do.
If the goal is knowledge, as is the case with your About Us page, you need a single key message, stated in one short sentence. If the goal is action, tell users explicitly what you want them to do: Register, donate, purchase, download.

2. Make it easy for them to know or do that.
Repeat key takeaway messages or calls to action early and often. If the goal is action, give users the means to do what you want them to do by providing, for example, a link or a phone number.

3. Put important information first.
For knowledge goals, the key message should come first. For action goals, the most important information is the users’ pain point – the need your product or service will fulfill. The intended action – with link or phone number (#2) – comes next and is repeated often.

4. Keep it short.
This advice applies to pages (except sales pages, in which case more is better), paragraphs, sentences, and words. It’s good advice for almost any kind of writing, but it’s crucial on the web.

5. Use headings and subheadings.
Headings help users find what they’re looking for.

6. Use lists.
Like headings, lists make scanning easier. Look for opportunities to convert text to lists: basically when there are more than two of almost anything.

7. Use hyperlinks.
Particularly look for opportunities to link to (rather than write out) peripheral information. For example, turning partner names into links saves the space you would have spent describing these organizations and their missions.

8. Make link text descriptive.
One of the things web users scan for is clickable links. Since they may not read the surrounding text, the link needs to be specific and informative: not Resources but Articles about website writing. Never use “click here” as link text.

9. Use keywords.
Use of keywords is the most basic form of search engine optimization (SEO), a broad topic I can’t begin to address here. Keywords also aid scanning. They reinforce your key message and intended action.

10. Conduct user testing.
If you were launching a new website, I’d have you test it six ways to Sunday. For a single page, you need just one other person. Have her quickly scan the page and tell you what she should do next. If she doesn’t come up with your key message or intended action, go back to #1. When you get the answer you want, then ask your tester to read the page looking for mistakes or nonworking links.

These 10 tips just scratch the surface of how to write for the web. I figure I’ve given you enough to worry about for now. It’s not as if simply reading these 10 commandments will make it easy to do them.

You may want to spend your time implementing your new initiative instead of figuring out how to engage web users in 10 seconds or less. If so, be in touch. I can help.