Make it readable and attractive

Don't present pages and pages of dense text for online reading - use graphics and white space to break it up.
Here's a useful article: Improve the Readability of Your Web Page, by Christine Churchill

Don't present long lists of links to websites - it's better to include a few high priority ones and add an explanation to each one on why it's important or useful. See our 'More resources for designing eLearning' page (top item on right-hand menu) for an example of annotated links.

Make it friendly and informal

Address learners directly and in a friendly tone. For example, say 'You will...' rather than 'Students will...'.
Here's a useful article: Web Style Guide, by the Government of Northern Ireland

Navigation

Don't make it hard for your learners to find their way around the content: for example, include an index and a way to get to the top of the page if the page is long.

If the content is meant to be read in sequence, provide Next and Previous links to move through it.

Hot links can be a very effective way to provide access to additional information, but if there are too many your learners can get lost!

Learner diversity

Your learners will different learning styles and preferences, so try to present information in different ways: for example, use graphics and audio as well as text.

When writing content, try to incorporate names and examples that reflect the cultures and backgrounds of your learners.

More tips on designing web pages