Content as Conversation: Writing for the Web, Janice (Ginny) Redish, PhD, President, Redish & Associates, Inc. Every use of your website is a conversation started by your site visitor. This workshop will teach you how to make that conversation count. Learn about understanding your audience, how people look for and use information on the Web, and why plain talk matters as much – if not more – on websites than on paper.

1. Content as Conversation: Writing for the Web Janice (Ginny) Redish, Ph.D. Redish & Associates, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland 301 − 229 − 3039 [email_address] www.redish.net @GinnyRedish

3. Setting the context © iStockphoto

6. Navigation and search are critical

7. Good, clear design is critical

8. Technology that works is critical

9. But they all support the content

10. Every use of every web site is a conversation started by the site visitor How well does your site converse with your site visitors?

11. Planning the conversation © iStockphoto

12. Plan before you write Think first. Write second. Why? (your purposes) Who? (your site visitors) When, why, and how? (your site visitors' conversations)

14. Be specific http://www.manageyourwriting.com/ Kenneth W. Davis

20. Getting people to what they need © iStockphoto

21. What does a home page have to do?

22. http://www.tricare.mil/ Imagine the conversation as you design. American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) scores went up about 20 points.

23. Flickr cc photo by pedrosimeos7 What should I be aware of when I shop for insurance?

25. http://www.insurance.wa.gov

26. Writing the conversation Flickr cc photo by Polandeze

28. Don't hog the conversation. Take turns. Headings are the site visitor's turns in the conversation.

32. Start with the key message Typical document (narrative style) topic, history, background, rationale narrative of what you did main point as conclusion Better workplace document (style for busy people; inverted pyramid) key message first answers to questions people would have (even if you don't write question headings)

34. Layer. Think "bite, snack, meal" Concept from Leslie O'Flahavan www.ewriteonline.com Even the whole meal should be easy to digest . www.cdc.gov Snack: the main fruit Bite: the kernel Meal: the whole thing - meat and potatoes

36. Write as you would speak ✔ ✗

37. Write to your readers The student must register and the fee payment process must be started before the first day of classes or the student will be purged from classes. You must register and arrange to pay for your classes before the first day of class. If you don't, we will drop you from the classes. 1 2 3

39. Did you say something like this? If you are importing yams, [someone] must fumigate them when they arrive at the port of entry. To fumigate yams, [someone] must use this procedure: Hear the conversation as you write context = given, known then new

44. Helping low-literacy users helps everyone Summers, K. and Summers, M., 2005, Reading and Navigational Strategies of Web Users with Lower Literacy Skills, ASSIST 2005, available from http://iat.ubalt.edu/summers/

45. Finding the simple word your pet peeve of a big word and a shorter, simpler equivalent retain ___________ Instead of Try this ascertain ___________ commence ___________ inquire ___________ Instead of Try this terminate ___________ utilize ___________ Instead of Try this at this point in time ___________ during the course of this year ___________

47. Assuring successful conversations © iStockphoto

50. Do usability testing! Usability testing = Watch and listen as relevant people (one at a time) use the site to do realistic tasks . www.usability.gov This is really confusing. What am I supposed to do? Flickr cc photo by Moonpir

52. Ginny Redish [email_address] 301 229 3039 Thank you