Transcript W314 Writing for the web

Writing for the Web
AGCAS Conference 2009
Chris Phillips
Publishing Director
GTI Media
The ‘Bar’
• Transaction
85%
• Key pages
• “I want to find specific stuff”
_________________________________
• Investigation
15%
• Deep content
• “I actually want to access detailed
information now”
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Why they read web pages
How they read web pages
Why you write web pages
How you write web pages
Good writing
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?
Paper v web
• Print publications contain linear content that's
often consumed in a more relaxed setting than
the solution-hunting behavior 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.
Web
• Web content must get to the point
quickly, because users are likely to
be on a specific mission.
• Web users want actionable
content.
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. 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
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 authoratative writing
The research on scannability
• Don’t underestimate the overwhelming
importance of getting the first 2
words right, since that's often all
users see when they scan Web pages.
• Selecting the first 2 words for your
page titles/bullets/sub-heads is
probably the highest-impact ROIboosting design decision you make
in a Web project.
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/messages on the page
– and then halve them
2. Write the body copy in an
accessible way – and then halve
the number of words
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
SOC
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
• Avoid jargon and hype like the
plague
For example…
• Having made the initial
commitment to their innovative
graduate programmes, Bucknall
Austin remains totally convinced of
the real benefits to both students
and employers.
For example…
• Whilst nearly every trainee solicitor
wants as much contact with clients
as humanly possible, the ultimate
client exposure is undoubtedly a
secondment.
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
•
•
•
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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
Summary
• It’s 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
If you want the slides…
E-mail me and I’ll send them
straight back…
[email protected]