Category: Assignment #3

4. For question #2, what did you do differently from the original post? Please outline, explain and justify what you changed & why. Essentially, what did you learn from this new topic and what did you change and why. (8 Marks)

For my revised introduction post I did a lot of things differently. Firstly I failed to establish the 5 W’s in my original post so that was the first thing I did for my revised post. Who – Bombard Bicycles, What – Bike sales, bike gear, review, local paths and trail guides, Where – Windsor and Essex County, Why – To support local riders and build a better local cycling community, How – Offering in house reviews, mechanical info, local trail and path guides. Writing with clear objectives outlined made it much easier to create and structure content.

My original post also lacked a proper headline. Headlines are the most important part of articles and are the majority deciding factor to whether someone clicks on your site or not. I made sure my new headline clearly outlined what my business is; a community centered bike shop in the Windsor & Essex County area. I then used my following content to outline what my business does: sells bikes, sells bike gear, bike reviews, and local guides. 

My original post also lacked any hierarchy of content importance. I failed to structure my content in a way that provided the more useful info first. In order to do this I chose to explain the broader objective of my business as a whole first. After outlining all our services I used my following content to explain them further in order of what I believe most people would be looking for first. 

I learned a lot from re-writing my original post but my main take away would be that the more time spent on content the better. I felt really lost at first but with each revision I made each aspect of plain language writing and the F pattern made more sense to me. I feel more confident to apply these techniques in the future.

3. For question #2, explain how your new post successfully addresses the three main objectives of Plain
English writing as discussed in class. Provide a detailed breakdown of each objective. (9 Marks)

My new introduction post addresses the three main objectives of plain English writing: being clear, concise and useful. To create a clear message I analyzed all my work and removed any complicated or long words for shorter simpler synonyms. I then broke down longer sentences into two sentences to make sentences easier to read and understand. I also then analyzed all my sentence structure to ensure I used simpler phrases. 

In order to make my content more concise I first targeted all the fluff. I removed any unneeded sentences or repeated information. I made sure sentences didn’t run on for too long and that paragraphs weren’t too long or in large groups. I used  bulleted lists and images to break up the paragraphs. I then made sure I was using an active tone not a passive one. I removed fluff words in my commands to make them sound more direct and clear and established the subject of the action first.

Finally I ensured all my information provided was useful to my customers and directly related back to my business. I rewrote all bullet points to sound more direct and understandable as well as explained why these things matter to my customers. I also removed any repetitions of content in the same paragraph.

A) Describe one specific technique you used to improve readability in your revised version and explain
why it is effective. (4 Marks)

To improve readability in my revised F-Pattern introduction was to remove filler from sentences. When I initially wrote the content I used a lot of complicated adjectives that just lengthened my sentences and didn’t add any real substance.For example i removed the word “premier” and replaced it with “#1”. Numbers are easier to read than letters and more attractive to the human eye. I placed my number near the top of my content in order to grab attention. Removing filler is useful because it touches on all three main objectives of Plain English Writing: Clear, Concise and Useful. By removing filler you make sentences shorter and easier to read adding to clearness and conciseness. Also by removing unneeded words and phrases from sentences you are making your content more useful per sentence to your customer.

B) What was the most challenging aspect of applying the F-Pattern and Plain English writing principles?
How did you overcome it? (5 Marks)

The most challenging aspect of applying the F-pattern and Plain English Writing principles to my content was accepting that less can be more. When writing content my brain tells me to write as much as I possibly can to explain as much as I can to the viewer. It’s hard to take into account how little time you have to gain the viewers attention before they leave.

 In order to overcome this issue I originally wrote my content without thinking about plain English writing or the f pattern. I then made multiple revisions of my content each time focusing on a different aspect of either plain English or the f pattern. My first revision focused on using an active tone in all my content, Then I turned any lists into bulleted lists to make them easier to understand. I then removed filler content and reorganised my content based on what is most important to my consumers. Next, I made a few passes over removing filler content and changing complicated language or confusing grammar. Finally I added structure using subheading and bolding.

2. In a previous assignment, you wrote an introduction article in the “F” pattern. Based on what we discussed
in class and based on the feedback provided in class, write a new introductory “content” incorporating
“plain English writing for the web” in the “F” pattern including visuals. You are to include your “revised
version” (if the version you submitted was not in the F-Pattern). Ensure that it addresses the three main
objectives of plain English writing. As a reminder, this is an introductory post for your business. Ensure you
list it in your hardcopy. (12 Marks)

Bombard Bicycles: Your local Windsor and Essex County bike shop

Find the right ride, the right gear and the right places to ride.

Bombard Bicycles is Windsor’s and Essex County source for:

• Brand name bicycles
• Bike gear and equipment
• Professional bike reviews
• Local bike path, trail, and park guides

Find the Right Bike

We aim to support local riders of all ages and help grow the cycling community in Windsor and Essex. Whether you’re buying your first bike or upgrading from an old bike, leave the guess work to us and ride away with a bike that’s right for you

Explore Windsor and Essex County

Explore local trails and paths with our easy to follow guides. Each guide includes important route information like:

• Distance
• Elevation 
• Trail conditions
• Surface type
• Difficulty

More Than a Bike Shop

Bombard Bicycles is the #1 destination for all things cycling in Windsor and Essex County. We commit ourselves to creating a strong community of dedicated and intelligent cyclists. We are more than a bike shop. We are a place for riders to learn, connect, and explore. Biking should be as easy as possible. We provide reliable information on every bike model we sell, along with our trail guides. Cycling and riding bikes is for everyone.

Why We Ride

We fell in love with riding bikes at a young age exploring our local communities. At Bombard Bicycles we believe that Windsor and Essex County can become one of Canada’s strongest cycling communities. We want to get as many people as possible on bicycles and out exploring our communities. As cycling communities grow, we can push for more cycling trails and parks.

How we make riding easier:

• Unbiased bicycle reviews
• Clear and specific mechanical information
• Local trail and path guides

At Bombard Bicycles the top priority is finding the right bike for you. We want every customer to ride away happy with their purchase. Find your next ride today with Bombard Bicycles. Visit our website for the latest bike products and guides.

1. We spoke about Plain English writing in class. Please answer the following in detail:

A) How would you explain to someone what “Plain English writing” is? (4 Marks)

Plain English writing is a writing technique that is used to more effectively communicate with audiences. Plain language makes use of simpler everyday words that can be understood by most people. Content must be organized in a way that allows readers to easily find what they need, understand the knowledge and finally apply that knowledge to their specific situation. Plain English writing also makes use of an active voice rather than a passive one to emphasize the purpose of the content whether it be to create conversions or move customers down the sales funnel. Content is not being re-written “dumber” it is being re-written to make it easier to understand and digest. Plain English writing is the act of reorganizing and structuring content to make the end user experience easier and swifter. Proper use of plain English writing improves tangible elements such as on page time, conversion rates and bounce rates.

B) What makes plain English writing different? (4 Marks)

When compared to traditional writing, plain English writing is shorter, simpler and more concise. Plain English writing removes unnecessary topics and unneeded words making the content shorter and more useful per sentence to the reader.Plain language writing main aim is to make traditional writing easier to understand, Plain English also simplifies traditional writing by using simpler and more widely used and understood words as well as making the use of an active voice and instructions to make the content easier to digest for readers.  Finally plain English makes content more concise for readers by removing complicated words and more importantly removing content that doesn’t serve a purpose to the user or is unimportant to the purpose of your written content.

C) What is plain language writing for the web and in detail and in your own words, why is it important?
(4 Marks)

Plain language writing for the web is the gold standard for web content and is widely used in all forms of online content. Plain language is important for writing for the web because of the tangible benefits it provides to your business and the end user experience. The majority of web content from videos to articles makes use of plain language writing and has been for some years.This has created an audience of users that are used to Plain language and expect it from professional online content. In the fast paced environment of web content the simple and easily digestible content plain language helps create understandable content that users are less likely to skim over. 

Plain language writing’s importance comes from the measurable benefits it provides. Proper playing language content will better engage readers making them more likely to spend more time on your page lowering bounce rates. The more time people spend on your website the greater chance to create conversions.