Below
are four important suggestions for writing effective content
for your site.
1.
Be brief. Be very brief.
Use
half the word count you would ordinarily use for traditional
print. The simple fact of the matter is that it is physically
and mentally more difficult for users to read text on
a computer screen than it is on a piece of paper. They
read slower. They read less. Your site's visitors are
almost always looking for "the bottom line". They skip
everything else.
2.
Be concise.
Concise
writing can increase your reader's comprehension and
retention levels by as much as 58% alone.
Users
are typically "task" directed. They are generally looking
for specific information. They will leave your
site quickly if they do not believe they will
find it within the first 30 seconds. Most "surfers"
in their mad dash to find the information they want
filter out everything else.
3.
Make your content scannable
Statistically
speaking less than 16% of your audience is reading your
content word for word. They are scanning for
clues to your information layout. You can make your
text scannable by using combinations of the following:
•
Highlighted keywords
• Meaningful subheadings [not "clever" ones]
• Bulleted lists
• One idea per paragraph
• An inverted pyramid style [i.e. start
with the conclusion ]
• Half the word count [or less] than conventional
writing
|
Making
your content scannable can increase your site's usability
by as much as 47%.
4.
Be objective.
Objective
writing is 27% more effective than "promotional" or
"flowery" writing. There are three things you should
generally avoid in your writing for the Web:
•
Subjective or boastful claims
• "Marketese"
• Excessive hyperbole
Several
usability theories suggest that excessive descriptors
or exaggeration imposes a cognitive burden on your users.
As you read, your brain is trying to eliminate these
words. These descriptors interfere with your goal …
Discerning the facts.
