- Use the following
guidelines to tailor content for online readers.
1) Write
short and make every word count.
Online readers tend not to read large
blocks of text because it's painful to read text on computer
screens. In addition, the online experience tends to foster
a certain amount of impatience. So help them out with short,
simple sentence structure. An online article is not really
the place for flowery language, complicated metaphors or
stuffy, hyper-correct grammar.
2)
Use meaningful rather than "cute" headlines and
subheads.
Online
headlines are very different from printed headlines because
they are used differently. Online headlines are often displayed
out of context. While scanning a list of stories, articles
or topics on your site, users often only will look at the
highlighted headlines and skip the summaries. Because headlines
play such an important role in helping users decide what
to read and where to click, they should be written in plain
language. That means no puns or clever plays on words.
3) Make your
site's purpose clear.
Start your homepage with a tagline that summarizes
what the site or company does, especially if you're new
or less than famous. Even well known companies presumably
hope to attract new customers and should tell first-time
visitors about the site's purpose. It is especially important
to have a good tagline if your company's general marketing
slogan is bland and fails to tell users what they'll gain
from visiting the site.
4) Assume
people will scan---and help them.
Use descriptive subheads to break up blocks
of text. An article structured with two, or even three,
levels of subheads allows readers to skip to the part they're
most interested in. Bulleted lists and similar design elements
should also be used to break the flow of uniform text blocks.
5) Start
each page with a conclusion.
By providing a short summary at the top of
each page, you help users determine whether or not they've
found the information they were seeking.
6) Write
meaningful page titles.
Page titles are what's specified in the "behind-the-scenes"
HTML for every page on your site. People who find your site
through a search engine will only see a page title-and it
will be out of context. Because page titles are often used
in navigation menus and bookmark lists, they should have
enough words to stand on their own and be meaningful when
read in a search listing.
7) Use objective
language.
People use the Web as a reference tool. They
check the weather, sports scores, movie showings and the
stock market. When they go online, they're looking for facts.
They're making price comparisons, shopping for hard-to-find
or specialty items, or they're looking for information about
your company and its products that they don't already know.
So, give it to them. Don't waste your readers' time with
inflated language or overt "market-ese." Provide
information they cannot find elsewhere and they'll come
back.
8) Help
users find your physical location.
Websites play a major role in helping customers
find their way to company locations, including branches,
stores, offices, dealers, and other outlets such as ATMs,
package drop-off points, or facilities that accept return
goods for e-commerce sites. Whenever customers need to transact
business at a physical location, a company's website should
help them find the most convenient location that offers
the services they need.
