Transcript Writing for the Web - Chris Phillips (Publishing Director GTI

Writing for the Web
AGCAS Training Warwick
September 2012
Chris Phillips
Publishing Director
GTI Media
Today’s programme
09.30
09.45
11.00
11.15
12.20
13.00
13.45
14.15
15.00
15.15
15.45
Welcome and Introduction
Writing for the web. Basic principles
Refreshments
Writing for the web (continued)
Student Panel
Lunch
Principles of good web design
Theory into practice
Refreshments
Theory into practice (continued)
Summary and questions
Writing for the Web
1. Basic principles
Some words of wisdom from the
guru Mr Nielsen
• Nielsen's description of the online
reader: “Users are selfish, lazy, and
ruthless."
• You, my dear user, pluck the lowhanging fruit. When you arrive on a
page, you don't actually deign to read
it. You scan. If you don't see what you
need, you're gone.
• And it's not you who has to change.
It's me, the writer.
The ‘Bar’
• Transaction
85%
• Key pages
• “I want to find specific stuff”
• Strict rules about readability
_________________________________
• Investigation
15%
• Deep content
• “I actually want to access detailed information
now”
• Less strict rules but still not like a book!
The problem with careers people
• You know far far too much
• You want to tell students
everything
• You think that students are as
turned on by careers as you are
Writing for the Web
1. Why and how students read web
pages
2. Why and how you write web
pages
3. Good writing – some ground rules
4. Some examples
How they read
• Books
• Newspapers
• Websites
The psychology of books
• Why do people read books?
– For enjoyment
– For escape
– For relaxation
– To while away time on the bus
The psychology of newspapers
• Why do people read newspapers?
– To be informed and entertained
– To be provoked
– To delight in familiar columnists
– For political comradeship
– Something to do on the bus to work
The psychology of websites
• Why do people read websites?
– You answer this one…
Web
• Web content must get to the point
quickly, because users are likely to
be on a specific mission.
• Web users want actionable
content.
Paper v web
• Print publications contain linear content that's
often consumed in a more relaxed setting than
the solution-hunting behaviour that
characterises most Web use.
• In print, you can spice up linear narrative with
anecdotes/stories that support a storytelling
approach to exposition.
• On the Web, such content often feels like
waffle; it slows down users and stands in the
way of them getting to the point. It turns
them off….
• Ditch the welcome mat, cut to the chase
Web
• Instead of a linear narrative, websites
support the user's personal story by
condensing and combining vast stores
of information into something that
specifically meets the user's immediate
needs. Not author-driven but userdriven.
• Print calls for well-crafted, complete
sentences and paragraphs. Online,
less so.
Paper v Web summary
• Linear v non-linear
• Author-driven v reader-driven
• Storytelling v Actionable content
• Anecdotes v data
• Sentences v fragments
Why do people read websites?
• To find things out quickly and with
minimum effort
• Because they want to take action
• Because they want a solution to a
problem
• Because they’re browsing
But who actually reads your
pages??
• True answer is you don’t have a
clue so don’t make assumptions
• Except to say that you know more
than them
• And they could have come from
Mars
• Make assumptions and you’ll end
up as an example on a training
course
HOT TIP
Task students with finding
information on your site and watch
what they do.
How they read web pages
• People don’t read, they scan
• 80% scan the page before reading it
• On average, people will read about 25%
of a page
• This figure increases if there are fewer
words on the page
• And they don’t read from beginning to
end. They dip in and browse…
Therefore, you must write
scannable copy
• Use the inverted pyramid – main points
first, summarise the content up front
• Meaningful sub-heads
• Bulleted lists
• Highlighted keywords
• One idea per paragraph
• Cut words savagely and carry on cutting
• Use links – internal and external
A word about web credibility
• No-one knows who really owns the
site (unlike a newspaper)
• Credibility is increased by outgoing
links
• And a lack of bullshit marketing
language
• And simple authoritative writing
The research on scannability
• Don’t underestimate the overwhelming
importance of getting the first 2/3
words right, since that's often all
users see when they scan Web pages.
• Selecting the first 2/3 words for
your page titles/bullets/sub-heads is
probably the highest-impact ROIboosting design decision you’ll
make.
• Avoid oblique/clever titles
Scannability – the fuzzy F
• Studies show that when users read web pages
their eyes move….
– First, along the top of the page, left to right, where
the main navigation often is, then
– Down the left-hand margin, where you’ll often find
secondary navigation, then
– Half-way across the page, looking at sub-heads and
the beginnings of sentences, then
– Information further down the page is even more
likely to be skimmed
Hence the eyes move down the page in a fuzzy ‘F’.
HOT TIP
Map a fuzzy F on your pages and
see what it shows you.
Why you write web pages
• To promote your products and
services
• To inform students/graduates
• To galvanise them into action
• To keep them on the site and
keep them coming back because
they don’t have to…
HOT TIP
Write for a busy person with a short
attention span
How you write web pages
• On the Web, readers are engaged and
want to find things out and get things
done. The Web is an active medium.
They lean forward.
• While reading print, readers want to be
entertained. They are in relaxation
mode and don't want to make choices.
Print is a passive medium. They lean
back.
How to write
• Because readers fixate on certain
parts of the page when they scan headlines, subheads,
summaries, captions, hypertext
links, and bulleted lists – you
should engage in the following
four-step process
The patented four-step process
1. Decide on the main elements and
messages on the page – and then
halve them.
2. Write the body copy in an accessible
way – and then halve the number of
words. Eliminate waffle and welcome
mat copy.
3. Write the scannable bits – remember
the F.
4. Write the intro/main header.
Research study of what makes
effective copy on the web
One topic was written in five
different ways and published
online. Each piece of copy was put
to a focus group and tested for its
usability.
The ‘Control’ – promotional copy
Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized
attractions that draw large crowds of people every year,
without fail.
In 1996, some of the most popular places were Fort
Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors), Scotts Bluff
National Monument (132,166), Arbor Lodge State
Historical Park & Museum (100,000), Carhenge
(86,598), Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer
(60,002), and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park
(28,446).
Concise text (58% more usable
than control example)
In 1996, six of the best-attended
attractions in Nebraska were Fort
Robinson State Park, Scotts Bluff
National Monument, Arbor Lodge
State Historical Park & Museum,
Carhenge, Stuhr Museum of the
Prairie Pioneer, and Buffalo Bill
Ranch State Historical Park.
Scannable layout (47% more)
Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized
attractions that draw large crowds of people every year,
without fail.
In 1996, some of the most popular places were:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors)
Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166)
Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum (100,000)
Carhenge (86,598)
Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002)
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,446).
Objective language (27% more)
Nebraska has several attractions.
In 1996, some of the most-visited
places were Fort Robinson State Park
(355,000 visitors), Scotts Bluff National
Monument (132,166), Arbor Lodge
State Historical Park & Museum
(100,000), Carhenge (86,598), Stuhr
Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002),
and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical
Park (28,446).
Combined version (124% more)
In 1996, six of the most-visited places in
Nebraska were:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fort Robinson State Park
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum
Carhenge
Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park
The combined version uses all three
improvements in writing style together: concise,
scannable, and objective.
Why objective is better
• Promotional language imposes a
cognitive burden on users who have
to spend resources on filtering out the
hype to get at the facts. When people
read a paragraph that starts "Nebraska
is filled with internationally recognized
attractions," their first reaction is no,
it's not, and this thought slows them
down and distracts them from using the
site.
• Students are attuned to bullshit.
HOT TIP
Concise,
Objective and Scannable
Remember ‘COS’
Good writing – things your
grandma should have told you
• I’ve gone on and on about the
differences between print and web
writing but, as your Grandma
would tell you, good writing is
good writing.
The eternal truth
You are careers writers.
You are web careers writers.
With respect, it is not your task to delight with
clever phrases, to charm with the mellifluous
flow of language or to transport from the real
world to an imaginary one.
Whatever other values your writing may have, it
is bad writing if it is not immediately clear.
The compassionate precis
• Cutting text always results in a
more readable web page.
• Cutting text makes pages more
attractive (and more likely to be
read).
• Think about the CV advice you
give to students…
How to chop your words down
• Be economical with words
• Your best friends are present tense
verbs
• Kill the clause
• Treat adjectives and adverbs with
suspicion – and ration them
• Avoid jargon and hype like the
plague
For example…
• Having made the initial
commitment to their innovative
graduate programmes, Bucknall
Austin remain totally convinced of
the real benefits to both students
and employers alike.
25w
For example…
• Whilst nearly every trainee solicitor
in the UK wants as much contact
with clients as humanly possible,
the ultimate client exposure is
undoubtedly a secondment in a
client’s office.
29w
Cut out the padding
• Behind schedule
• Is of the opinion that
• During the course of
• In the direction of
• Owing to the fact that
• At the present time
• The whole of
• Give consideration to
The ten commandments
• To be or not to be, that is the question
– There’s a lot to be done
– There’s a lot to do
• Must have, have to-itis
– There are many things you have to do in
this job
– In this job, there’s a lot to do
– A good leader must inspire confidence
– A good leader inspires confidence
The ten commandments
• A good verb is worth a thousand
adjectives
– In this day and age, a meandering policy
towards…
– Today, a company that meanders between..
• Make the verb active
– The careers service launches a new
programme NOT
– A new programme has been launched by
the careers service
• Place the verb near the beginning of the
sentence
The ten commandments
• Don’t start sentences with subordinate clauses
– Judging by the number of cards on his desk, Mr
Smith was a popular man
•
•
•
•
•
The best sentences are short
‘You’ is almost always best
Speak the words out loud
Communicate directly and simply
BUT do not patronise by adopting the reader’s
voice or by over use of empathy
• Choose familiar words
HOT TIP
• The easiest way to come up with a
new idea is to steal someone else’s
• But adapt, localise content
• Be informed by students’ views
• Update copy to keep freshness and
relevance
Some random examples
Summary
• Consider the factors that make a site
successful and consider the way people use
the web
• Web writing is different from print writing and
needs more treatment, calculation and
planning
• Make it scannable, concise and objective
• Get feedback from students in real-time tests
• Design serves your purpose and helps users to
find stuff quickly
As George Orwell said…
• Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech
that you are used to seeing in print.
• Never use a long word where a short one will do.
• If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
• Never use the passive voice when you can use the
active
• Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a
jargon word if you can think of an everyday equivalent.
• Break any of these rules sooner than say anything
barbarous! (not sure about this one George)
Resources
• http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/ - Jacob
Neilson’s site, also has bibliography
• http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9703b.html - more from
him
• http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/6771-how-to-writefor-the-web-23-useful-rules - no nonsense advice
• http://usability.coi.gov.uk/theme/writingcontent/writing-for-web.aspx - advice from COI
• http://webdesign.about.com/od/writing/a/aa031405.ht
m
• http://www.fatdux.com/blog/2009/08/07/20-tips-forwriting-for-the-web/
• Don’t make me think. Steve Krug. 2005. New Riders
Writing for the Web
2. Student panel
Writing for the Web
3. Principles of web design
Design doesn’t mean artistic
• Simplicity is better than complexity
• Logic is better than the wow factor
• Usability is better than beautiful
• Careful colour is better than inyour-face colour
If it doesn’t enable the user to find
things quickly, it’s bad design.
Online is different from print
 Information should be arranged more
simply, as reading patterns tend to be
more linear. Use bullet points,
subheadings etc to break up long text.
 (Useful article: “How we read online” –
http://www.slate.com/id/2193552/)
Don’t obsess over the fold
 ‘The fold’ is not a thing to be worried
about – although obviously your most
important information (eg logo, website
name, heading) should be placed first
on the page.
 Useful article: “Myth #3: People don’t
scroll” –
http://uxmyths.com/post/654047943/
myth-people-dont-scroll
Context is all
 Context is not always as clear online as it can
be in print. For example, reading an article in
a print magazine, you will be aware of the
magazine itself and therefore the overall
subject that it covers.
 Online, a user can find themselves in a deep
content page of a website with no idea what
the website is or what it contains. Make sure
to help your users understand context using
breadcrumbs, clear and consistent navigation,
and so on.
Feedback and redesigns
• Your design can evolve based on constant, live user
feedback. Use what’s available – Google Analytics, user
testing, on-site feedback, etc – but make sure you’re
prepared to act on what feedback tells you.
• Useful article: “Ten ways to gather feedback from users”
– http://idratherbewriting.com/2008/10/17/10-waysto-gather-feedback-from-users/
• There is no need for a cycle of redesigns – it can be
better to incrementally evolve. An overall redesign
should only be necessary in the case of a branding
change or substantial change of intent for a website.
Make it easy for your users
• Don’t put long streams of text over background images
or patterns.
• Don’t use colour combinations that make text difficult to
read.
• Useful website for both of the above points: “The
world’s worst website” –
http://www.angelfire.com/super/badwebs/
• Remember that your design can be viewed with an
almost infinite number of devices and browser windows.
Don’t assume that everybody is viewing the website
under the same conditions that you are. Design with
that in mind – different browser windows, different
screen resolutions, different devices and so on
Consistency and usability
• Consistency is key – across all aspects of a
website including stylesheets, navigation,
image sizing, link colouring, etc.
• Usability and accessibility are hot topics in
online design
• Useful websites: Jakob Nielsen on usable
information technology –
http://www.useit.com/, W3C policies relating
to web accessibility –
http://www.w3.org/WAI/Policy/
Good working practices
• Plan everything in advance – web design is, basically,
software engineering, and will benefit from a structured
process.
• Useful article: “Successful web development
methodologies” – http://www.sitepoint.com/successfuldevelopment/
• Define your web team. It’s likely that at least several
distinct groups will contribute to a website and so they
should all work within agreed limits and liaise with each
other to ensure that no single change to a website
causes unexpected knock-on problems.
• Document everything and never make assumptions!
Content management systems
 There are hundreds of systems, or you
could build your own – analyse your
requirements very carefully and if
possible choose the best system for you
 Useful article: “How to choose the right
CMS” –
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/200
9/01/how-to-choose-the-right-cms/
Writing for the Web
4. Theory into practice