Font:

  • For main text Arial 12pt
  • For computer output Courier New 12pt

Identify your Keywords:

  • Load First Two Words with meaning. Start subheads, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content. They'll read the third word on a line much less often than the first two words.
  • Seventy-nine percent of Web users scan pages for keywords; they do not read word-by-word. Design your document to be scannable and use your keywords in the title.
  • Users won't read your text thoroughly in a word-by-word manner.
  • The first two paragraphs must state the most important information.

Be Succinct:

  • Write no more than 50% of the text you would have used in a hardcopy publication.

Start with the Conclusion in the Title When Possible:

  • Make sure that headlines clearly indicate the content of the sections.
  • Avoid in-line character formatting to heads--the results are unpredictable, varying from browser to browser.
  • Use a spell checker.

Terms to Avoid:

  • Writing well for the Web means taking advantage of the options the Web offers, but at the same time, not calling attention to the Web. "Click here," "follow this link," and "this Web site" are just a few self-referential terms to avoid.
  • Do not use pronouns, especially personal pronouns such as I, me, and we, etc.

Navigation:

  • Keep the primary paragraphs for high level information. Move detailed info to secondary paragraphs.
  • Use numbered lists when the order of entries is important.
  • It’s best to format the article within the authoring template, however cutting and pasting formatting works well in RightNow.
  • Use unnumbered lists whenever the sequence of the entries is not important.
  • Generally, limit lists to no more than two levels: primary and secondary.

Hyperlinks:

  • Use hyperlinks to provide supplemental information like definitions of terms and abbreviations, reference information, and background reading.
  • Links embedded in a document are the primary links that you want a reader to see; since readers use links as guideposts in scanning, you want to use them correctly and write in a way that takes best advantage of them. Use the name of the link or the title of the linked document.

Attachments:

  • Reference any attachments in the Answer body, otherwise attachments to the document may be over looked.
  • Attach JPEG, PDF, XLS. DOC files. Avoid exotic file types.

Trademarks:

From Wikipedia style guide

  • Capitalize trademarks, as with proper names.
  • Don't expect readers to know, based on trademarks or brand names, what item is being discussed. For example:
  • avoid:Police in Miami confiscated 25 stolen Rolexes.
  • instead, use:Police in Miami confiscated 25 stolen Rolex watches.
  • however:The prime minister indicated that the Cadbury Creme Egg was delicious. (This is allowed because the product name includes the product type.)
  • Follow standard English text formatting and capitalization rules, even if the trademark owner considers nonstandard formatting "official":
  • avoid:REALTOR®, TIME, KISS
  • instead, use:Realtor, Time, Kiss
  • Using all caps is preferred if the letters are pronounced individually, even if they don't stand for anything. For instance, use SAT for the (U.S.) standardized test.
  • Do not use the ™ and ® symbols, or similar, in either article text or citations, unless unavoidably necessary for context (for instance, to distinguish between generic and brand names for drugs).
  • Avoid using special characters that are not pronounced, are included purely for decoration, or simply substitute for English words (e.g.,♥ used for "love"). In the article about a trademark, it is acceptable to use decorative characters the first time the trademark appears, but thereafter, an alternative that follows the standard rules of punctuation should be used:
  • avoid:Macy*s, skate., [ yellow tail ], Se7en, Alien3, Toys Я Us
  • instead, use:Macy's, Skate, Yellow Tail, Seven, Alien 3, Toys "R" Us
  • Trademarks in CamelCase are a judgment call. CamelCase may be used where it reflects general usage and makes the trademark more readable.
  • OxyContin or Oxycontin—editor's choice