Since its emergence in the mid-1990s, the World Wide Web has become a powerful tool for accessing information about products, services, entertainment, and political movements, among other subjects. Its rapid growth has resulted in the beginnings of what might be termed Web genres. Among the most important of these genres is the informative Web site. Typically, informative Web sites offer information and advice on a range of subjects, from politics to news and entertainment to activities such as how to build decks and patios, prepare zucchini, and choose a college or university.

Web sites engage readers in ways that print documents cannot: They can link directly to related sites, allow visitors to access video and audio files, and support communication between a site’s readers and writers. Given the diverse characteristics of a Web site’s potential audience, writers must anticipate the needs of a far wider range of readers than is the case with informative print documents. Informative Web sites typically provide broad overviews on their main pages and add detailed information on related pages, allowing readers to move around according to their own needs and interests. Because of this, site organization is a key concern for Web writers. The content and location of individual pages within the site, the navigational structure, the placement of visuals, and even links to other sites can strongly affect how readers move through and interpret the information on a Web site. (You can read more about designing Web sites in Chapter 17.)