The following are some good practices for web content writing:

Word Count: 
It seems that there is no widely accepted answer for optimal word count.  However, there are statistics that state that people read web content 25% more slowly than they read print material.  Typical web content is 50% shorter than print content

There is no golden number for word count.  The content should be compelling enough to hold shortened attention spans.  In writing pieces, be aware of the delayed reading process web content readers experience.  Also, as far as a golden number, perhaps it is better not to grant one anyways, because from an SEO angle it looks much more natural to have pages with variation in lengths of information.

Scrolling vs. splitting paragraphs: 
79% of web readers tend to scan the content rather than read the text word for word.  They rarely read whole passages and are looking for very clear directions because they are impatient. For this reason it is very important to present content in short segments, chunks of 3-5 lines is best, and to use images and editorial landmarks such as lists, headings, bullet points, bolding etc to break up the page and to help very goal oriented web users easily determine whether the page has the information that they are seeking. 

Scrolling through more than four screen’s worth of text is a big job for web readers and negates the utility of Internet use.  It would be best to use no more than one printed page of text at a time and link to pages, 2, 3, 4 etc. at the bottom of each page.

Simplicity is key: 
50% of US adults read at an 8^th grade level

25% read at a 5^th grade level

Even content aimed at a higher educated audience is better received on the web if it is simple. Shorter, more concise sentences, single subject pages with links to other subjects or sub topics.

Use short paragraphs, short sentences and short words.

Overall Comprehension

Words – Readers Lost

100         25%

300         40%

500         60%

1000       80%

With this chart in mind, – lead with the need, the most important information and the most clear lines of direction for the audience so that readers know exactly what they are getting on that page, get to the point immediately, then stop or link out to other pages. 

Readers appreciate direct verbiage that has no hype, is clear, does not over use jargon or acronyms, is honest, compelling, and conversational.

Converting Print Writing to Web Writing: 

• Remove 50%
• Reorder

      By importance first

      Make lists (bullet points are good too)

      Use links to refer to other topics

      Regroup, (chunking 3-5 lines)(also use headlines and subheadlines)