Writing for the Web - plain and simple

W r i t i n g f o r t h e We 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
plain and simple

Andrew Kaszowski (@ImpressionOne)

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


WRITERS vs. WEB PROS


my world = writers
good great writers, good great web writers

experienced writing great articles


my world = writers

great stories, beautiful text


my world = writers

we were trained to write,
but not to write for web


my world = writers

good great writers,
writers suck
good great web writers
at writing
for the web


your world = web pros

web geeks
writers suck at
writing


writing for the web

balance
writing web


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. WEB
TWO DIFFERENT REALITIES


print vs. web
two 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


print vs. web

web:

screens are hard on the eyes

lots of distractions: might have many windows open

hard to look at words for a long time


print vs. web

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


print vs. web


print vs. web

non-linear
linear
alive, dynamic page
straight line-reading
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


how humans view web
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


how humans view web
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


how humans view web

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 OF
WEB PAGES


3 different types of
web 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


web pages

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


web pages
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


web pages
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

andrewk@impression1.net

@ImpressionOne

www.impression1.net


Writing for the Web - plain and simple

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