Maybe a letter to the editor would show up in print a few weeks later. The Web doesn't work that way. Readers expect to have immediate means to respond to what they read, to take part in a discussion that lives long after the story is published. Giving readers the chance to do that is a great way to build community. In that environment, it's important to catch readers as quickly as possible.
Leads are more important than ever.
Writing good headlines, too, becomes even more vital on the Web. Just as in print, headlines are important in giving readers a quick idea of what's on a page. Therefore, headlines not only have to support connected articles, they also have to make sense when they are presented in isolation. But they need to be used with caution. Links need to be compelling.