Transcript Writing for the web - University of South Australia

Writing for the web
Web Authors Group Meeting
20 November 2003
Reading habits of web users
• 79 percent of users scan the page – they pick sentences
or parts of sentences to get the information they want
• reading from computer screens is 25 percent slower
than from paper
• users roam from page to page collecting bits of
information
• users do not like long, scrolling pages – they want text
short and to the point
• users detest marketing fluff or overly hyped language
("marketese") – they want factual information
Characteristics of web pages
• web pages must be more independent
than print pages
• each page needs to be related to the
home page via links and orientation of the
page's content
• links should connect a page to the rest of
the site
Basic rules
1. CUT IT DOWN AND SPLIT IT UP
• be succinct, clear and concise: write no more
than 50% of the length of the paper equivalent
• write for scannability: don't make users read
long continuous slabs of text
• present content in short segments (chunks) that
focus on a certain topic
• use lists, headings and bullet points to split
up long information
• use links and bookmark links to split
information into sections on the same
page or multiple pages
• use the inverted pyramid style of writing –
most important information at beginning of
text
2. KEEP THE READER INFORMED
• provide information that is credible and current
• users should be able to determine who you are
by your navigation and page design
• as web pages are independent and can be read
out of context (eg when found by a search
engine), the following three factors are critical:
- who wrote it? (template, logo, source)
- when did they write it? (last revised date)
- who paid for it to be written? (important for
websites that sell products)
3. MORE PAGE VIEWS OVER NICE PROSE
• litter your page with keywords or product name –
the more it appears, the more likely the page will
be picked up by search engines
• write clever keywords
- imagine what a user would type into the search
field eg study tips vs learning connection
• proofread and proofread (check grammar,
spelling and style eg upper casing)
http://www.unisa.edu.au/staff/stylemanual.asp
4. LINKS APLENTY
• link to the home page and main navigation –
users need to know where they are in the
context of the whole site
• include links to related content – this shows
you've done research and care to give them
information, and makes your content a more
extensive resource
• web pages with lots of appropriate links can be
like a mini-encyclopaedia of a particular topic
• don't overdo it, though. Too many links, or
links to topics only marginally related are
distracting and annoying.
• the link name should be as close as
possible to (if not exactly the same as) the
heading of the page you are linking
Other tips
• don’t start the page with a menu – always write a
short blurb to give users introductory/contextual
information
• page and section headings should describe the
material
• write globally - eg use the international date
format (14 March 2003), Adelaide, South
Australia
• avoid jargon, metaphors and puns that may
make sense only in the context of your language
and culture
• use terminology that can be understood by
someone unfamiliar with the organisation
• spell out (initially) acronyms
• avoid duplicating or recreating data that
appears elsewhere (eg on another UniSA
webpage)
• avoid using blinking or scrolling text for
accessibility reasons