Writing for the web, and above all for phones

Nobody reads a web page like a book. People skim it, often standing up, a phone in hand, looking for a precise answer: your opening hours, your prices, whether you come out as far as their town. Copy written for that reader gives the answer before they lose interest.

The rules below come from usability research and from government writing guides. They apply to a craftsperson as much as to a practice or a restaurant.

How people read on screen

People read little, and not in order. Five eye-tracking studies run over thirteen years, with more than 500 participants, show that web users scan pages far more than they read them, and almost never word for word (Nielsen Norman Group, 2020). The eye catches headings, the start of paragraphs, lists and what is in bold, then jumps.

An older measurement gives an order of magnitude: on an average page, visitors have time to read at most 28% of the words, and more likely 20% (Nielsen Norman Group, 2008). What they read is what stands out.

On a phone, shorter still

In France, 91% of people own a smartphone (Crédoc for Arcep, 2026). That is where your page will be read most often.

On a small screen, a paragraph that fit in four lines stretches over the whole height. Comprehension holds up: a study of 276 participants found no notable gap between phone and computer for easy texts. Difficult texts, on the other hand, are read more slowly on a phone (Nielsen Norman Group, 2016). The researchers’ conclusion stays the same: on mobile, cut everything that isn’t necessary.

The essentials first

Start with the answer, then give the detail. Journalists call it the inverted pyramid. The Nielsen Norman Group recommends it at every level: in the page, in each paragraph, in each subheading and in each link (2020).

An example for a joinery:

• Before: “With twenty years of experience, our workshop, set in the heart of the Drôme, puts all its know-how at the service of your interior fitting projects.”
• After: “Custom kitchens, staircases and cupboards, across the Drôme. Free quote within a week.”

The second version gives in two sentences what the first never says: what the workshop makes, where, and how to get started.

Short sentences, everyday words

The French Government Information Service published a guide to writing simply (2023). Its rules apply as they are to a business website:

• One idea per sentence, twenty words at most, in subject, verb, object order.
• The active voice: “we call you back within 24 hours” rather than “a callback will be offered to you”.
• The positive form: “come before 6 p.m.” rather than “don’t come after 6 p.m.”.
• Common words. A difficult word is explained the first time it appears.
• The same word for the same thing, from start to finish.
• Few acronyms, always spelled out.

Plain language now has its international standard, ISO 24495-1, published in 2023. Its principle: readers find what they need, understand it, and can use it.

Your trade’s jargon is the most common trap. “Lime plaster”, “tissue osteopathy”, “plated service”: keep the precise word if your customers search for it, but explain it in a few words.

Lists and subheadings

Lists and subheadings are what the eye reads first. DesignGouv, the French state’s design service, asks writers to structure information with headings, paragraphs and bullet lists, and to name links clearly.

• Lists for steps, options, opening hours. The government guide advises six items at most (2023).
• Subheadings that inform. “Rates and reimbursements” informs; “Our commitments” leaves you guessing.
• Bold used sparingly, on information not to be missed: a price, a lead time, a closing day.
• Links that say where they lead. “See the dessert menu” rather than “click here”.
• Short paragraphs, three or four sentences at most, one idea each.

Proofread like a customer

Copy is judged on rereading, preferably by someone else. A few habits are enough:

1. Reread on your phone, outdoors, in real conditions.
2. Have it read by someone who doesn’t know your trade. The government guide makes this a step in its own right (2023).
3. Cut every sentence that answers no customer question.
4. Read aloud. A sentence where you have to catch your breath is too long.
5. Check the figures: prices, hours, lead times. Clear but wrong copy does more harm than muddled copy.

If an AI writes your first draft, these rules are what you proofread it with: see copy written by AI. And for the first sentence of the page, the one that counts most, read how to write your homepage headline.

In short: people skim a page more than they read it, and most often on a phone. Give the answer first, in short sentences and common words, and let subheadings and lists guide the eye.