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Writing online should be:

• Scannable - users do not read on the Web; instead they scan the pages, trying to pick out a few sentences or even parts of sentences to get the information they want
• Written concisely  - users do not like long, scrolling pages: they prefer the text to be short and to the point
• Objective style instead of the promotional style - users detest anything that seems like marketing fluff or overly hyped language ("marketese") and prefer factual information.

Users won't read your text thoroughly in a word-by-word manner. Exhaustive reading is rare, especially when prospective customers are conducting their initial research to compile a shortlist of vendors. Yes, some people will read more, but most won't.

Create scannable text, using:

• highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
• meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones)
• bulleted lists
• one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
• the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
• half the word count (or less) than conventional writing
• plain language: no puns, no "cute" or "clever" headlines.

Writing Your Content

• The first two paragraphs must state the most important information. There's some hope that users will actually read this material, though they'll probably read more of the first paragraph than the second.
• Start subheads, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-behavior. They'll read the third word on a line much less often than the first two words.
• When you write, use keywords that match users' search queries.
• Do not make all list or menu items start with the same word: they will be hard to differentiate when scanning a list. Move common markers toward the end of the line.
• Writing should be snappy and fast to read. Keep paragraphs and sentences short. Like this.
• Try reading sentences aloud to see if they’re too long. You should be able to read an entire sentence without pausing for a breath.
• Credibility is important for Web users, since it is unclear who is behind information on the Web and whether a page can be trusted. Credibility can be increased by high-quality graphics, good writing, and use of outbound hypertext links.
• Users detested "marketese"; the promotional writing style with boastful subjective claims ("hottest ever") that currently is prevalent on the Web. Web users are busy: they want to get the straight facts.

Using Headlines

• Multiple levels of headlines can be used: page title and sub headlines like in this article.
• The requirements for online headlines are very different from printed headlines because they are used differently.
• Online headlines are often displayed out of context: as part of a list of articles, in an email program's list of incoming messages, in a search engine hitlist, or in a browser's bookmark menu or other navigation aid.
• Even when a headline is displayed together with related content, the difficulty of reading online and the reduced amount of information that can be seen in a glance make it harder for users to learn enough from the surrounding data.
• Make the first word an important, information-carrying one. Results in better position in alphabetized lists and facilitates scanning. For example, start with the name of the company, person, or concept discussed in an article.

References

How Users Read on the Web
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html

F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html

Use Old Words When Writing for Findability
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/search-keywords.html

Microcontent: How to Write Headlines, Page Titles, and Subject Lines
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/980906.html

Concise, SCANNABLE, and Objective: How to Write for the Web
http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html