Writing for Online Audiences
Your company or organisation’s website is its shop window. Everyone has a website, but few people stop to think about it and spend time window-dressing. This course will help you to apply the latest theory and best practice to your website writing.
People read and behave differently online than in print or other media. There are particular rules and methods that you need to follow and apply if you want to keep visitors returning and ensure that your site is as attractive and sticky as it can be.
On the course, you will learn how to create readable, useful and discoverable web content that enables users to complete their tasks quickly and painlessly, providing them with an excellent user experience.
Who is it for?
- Anyone who creates or has responsibility for web content
- Agents
- Authors
- Bloggers
- Content editors
- Copywriters
- Marketers
- Publicists
- UX designers
- Web editors
- Web managers
What will you achieve?
On completing this course you will be able to:
- Exploit how people read on the web to write content people can act on
- Use plain English techniques to write more active, clear and concise copy
- Organise and structure content for online readers
- Write web content that is shareable across social media and easy to find on search engines
- Develop a site that reaches readers before they reach for the back button.
Programme
Day 1
- Understanding how people read online
- How writing for the web is different from writing for other media
- Planning online content
- Structuring online content to keep the attention of your audience
- Boosting readability and scannability
Day 2
- Writing clear and persuasive links and calls to action
- Building trust online
- Creating accessible online content
- Writing to be found: search engine optimisation for online content
Delegate feedback
“I enjoyed this course and have gained useful suggestions on how to improve the readability of online content.” Digital Content Writer, Avert
“I loved it! The tutor was so friendly and welcoming, I felt comfortable and engaged the whole time. I’ve gained practical tips and advice on how to tailor my editing to make the content really work online.” The Open University delegate
“The course was interactive, engaging, interesting, and very practical and useful. I liked the exercises. There were lots of resources to follow up and the chance to ask questions. I have a better understanding of how to write or edit content for our website.” Child Poverty Action Group delegate
“I very much enjoyed the course. Sue Davis was a fantastic instructor – very friendly and knowledgeable. I am aiming to start a career, and this was a fantastic introduction to the field, with specialist knowledge and personal feedback.” Student
“I really enjoyed the course. The tutor, Sue Davis, was personable and organised. I’ve gained new skills and top tips when crafting copy. I particularly liked the course structure – input from the tutor followed by exercises to help cement the ideas, with breaks between sessions.” Freelance journalist
“An excellent course. Sue is an engaging teacher and I loved how she showed examples and did exercises with us – it made everything much clearer. The handouts were useful and the homework great for putting new skills to use and building confidence.” Little Island Books delegate
“The course worked well remotely. Sue is great. Really engaging and knowledgeable, and the breaks helped retain concentration levels. I am now equipped to reassess my company website pages, develop in-house SEO guidelines, and assess training requirements for other members of the team.” Bloomsbury Publishing delegate
“I have a much better understanding of writing for the web, to use in my everyday workplace. The tutor is engaging, friendly and knowledgeable, and the content covered was interesting. The section on SEO gave useful areas for further research.” London School of Economics and Political Science delegate
About the tutor
Sue Davis has designed, produced and edited hundreds of websites for clients ranging from small charities and businesses to large NGOs such as UNICEF and global enterprises. When at Channel 4, she designed one of the first live blogs, for Time Team – blogging while the archaeologists found new treasures.
She has also presented TV series for the BBC (Computers Don’t Bite) and Sky TV (Download).
She currently helps clients with website metrics and analytics, performs expert usability reviews, conducts competitive reviews, advises on enterprise blogging, and designs and structures websites.
Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/suedavis68
Dates
Thursday, 20 November 2025
Date information for future sessions
November 2025
- Dates: 20 & 27 November 2025
- Times: Each session will run from 9.00am to 12.30pm
Course format
- Virtual course
- 9am to 12.30pm
- Six x 60-minute sessions plus breaks, comprising two half-day sessions on two days, one week apart
A number of discounts are available
What you will need
To join the course, you will need access to a computer, tablet or laptop with a camera and microphone. You will need to activate a free Zoom account to join the course. This takes two minutes and does not require any payment. It is purely for administrative purposes.