Writing for the web and mobile
Design your story for someone reading on a phone, perhaps between tasks or with an unstable connection. Readers often scan before committing. The headline, opening lines and subheadings must help them understand both the subject and the value of continuing.
The essentials
Put the essential information early. The inverted pyramid matters on a small screen because the reader may see only the opening before deciding whether to continue. Work towards a first sentence that carries the subject rather than an administrative preamble. The first 30 words are a useful editing test, not a place for empty scene-setting.
Use short paragraphs, normally one idea and one to three sentences. Add informative subheadings to longer passages so that scanning provides a genuine route through the account. Keep formats lightweight: a heavy image or unnecessary download can make useful reporting difficult to reach on a limited connection.
A web headline must identify the subject clearly. Include words the intended audience actually uses to search, preferably near the beginning, while keeping the promise faithful to the article. Cleverness should not obscure the information. Clickbait can win an arrival while damaging the trust that makes a reader return. Precision is a form of elegance.
Take it to the field
Open your article on a phone. Can someone understand the subject from the headline, first sentence and first subheading? Check whether a heavy image or a dense paragraph blocks access to the information.
Your turn
Adapt one of your published articles for mobile: put the essential information in the first 30 words, use one-to-three-sentence paragraphs and add a subheading about every three paragraphs. Compare the versions on your phone.