Writing for the Web - plain and simple

W r i t i n g f o r t h e W e b - p l a i n a n d s i m p l e

Monday, May 10, 2010

WRITING FOR THE WEB

plain and simple


WRITING FOR THE WEB

Andrew Kaszowski (@ImpressionOne)

freelance consultant, Impression OneWeb Producer, St. Joseph’s Health Care London

plain and simple


WRITERS vs. WEB PROS


my world = writersgood great writers, good great web writers

experienced writing great articles



great stories, beautiful text



we were trained to write,

but not to write for web


my world = writers

good great writers,

good great web writers

writers suck at writing for the web


your world = web pros

writers

web geeks suck at writing


writing for the web

writing web

balance


writing for the web

How to balance between writing well and writing for the web:

recognize words on screen are different than words on a page

understand how humans look at screens (usability research):

write to maximize usability (use best practices)


WEB WRITING:BE LIKE COSMO MAGAZINE


web writing: be like Cosmo magazine


web writing: be like Cosmo magazine

Cosmo knows the art of keeping the reader interested

teasers

keep interest in a very short attention span

keep the reader diving deeper to learn more: get them hooked


PRINT vs. WEBTWO DIFFERENT REALITIES


print vs. webtwo different realities

words on a screen are different than words in print

print:

easy on the eyes

not distracted when reading

spend lots of time looking at the words




web:

screens are hard on the eyes

lots of distractions: might have many windows open

hard to look at words for a long time




web:

alive: users expect things on screen to change

non-linear: not like a straight article

like a magazine cover: keep your reader moving farther



linear

straight line-reading

non-linear

alive, dynamic page

keeps the reader active, moving


EYE-TRACKING RESEARCH:HOW HUMANS VIEW WEB


eye-tracking research:how humans view web

eye-tracking: records eye movements on a web page

shows where the eye moves and how long it stays in one spot



results of eye-tracking research:

users spend 5-7 seconds reading a paragraph or document on the web

in that time: either they’re engaged and keep reading, or they move on

proves why writing for web best practices are key to keeping users



eye-tracking research means:

it’s all about keeping user interested

no longer worry about getting user to what they need within 2-3 clicks

as long as you keep the user moving within your site, you can steer them to the content they want



get the user to your goal:

tease them, steer them, move them

users will stay with you if you keep their interest


3 DIFFERENT TYPES OFWEB PAGES


3 different types ofweb pages

1) home page/landing page (welcome to your site)

first impression: users will spent least amount of time here, but gain the greatest opinion

show snapshots of what’s going on throughout the web site

teasers to move users farther into the site

constantly updating: show what’s new



2) information pages (regular/secondary pages)

meat and potatoes of your web site

lots of information, so make it easy to follow

don’t make the user spend too much time reading long text... break it up



2) information pages (regular/secondary pages)

a short introduction to the page (1-2 sentences) helps ease the users into the longer information

Break information into sub-sections with sub-navigation (keep the user moving)

Overall, information pages can be a little longer because user has already gained interest by the time they get here



3) article/blog (long page of singular text)

long, linear article

contrary to usability research - it’s hard on the eyes to read on a screen for a long time

give the reader a rest by breaking up text with headings, quotes, photos


BEST PRACTICE TIPS


best practice tips

must-read info must be first... put it where the user looks first

keep things short, short, short, short, short!


best practice tips

overall text:

8-10 words per sentences MAX (or less!)

2-3 sentences for first paragraph

3-5 sentences max for additional paragraphs

Try to end the page with a one-sentence paragraph


best practice tips

lists:

lists are perfect for presenting a longer series of info: they keep the reader’s eye moving

7 items max (can’t keep interest longer than that)


best practice tips

links

use active, descriptive link text

bad:

To learn more about Andrew, click here

good:

Andrew Kaszowski’s portfolio


4 TOP TIPS


4 top tips

1) active voice is best... avoid passive voice

John washes the dishes (active)

The dishes are washed by John (passive)

2) brevity always wins

3) tell a story

4) write informally... it’s all about style


FROM BAD TO GOOD:TRANSFORMING A PAGE


from bad to good:transforming a page


from bad to good:transforming a page

result:

higher visitor traffic

greater traffic to pages farther in site

weekly emails from construction companies and public interest in mental health redevelopment project!


Thank You

[email protected]

@ImpressionOne

www.impression1.net


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.impression1.net

http://www.impression1.net

Writing for the Web - plain and simple

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