Key Web Writing Principles for Higher Education
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The document provides guidelines for writing web content for higher education websites. It emphasizes that web users have short attention spans and are impatient. Content should be concise, scannable, and use simple language. Long blocks of text should be avoided and broken into shorter paragraphs, bullet points, and clear subheadings. Images and videos can be useful but should not distract from the core content. The guidelines recommend using a personal tone and focusing on what is most important to website visitors through their tasks and concerns.
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Key Web Writing Principles for Higher Education
- 1. #AIwebwriting KEY WEB WRITING PRINCIPLES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION©ROBERT E. JOHNSON, PH.D. 2016 Bob Johnson, Ph.D. Academic Impressions: Planning for a Higher Ed Website Redesign Cincinnati, OH: February 28 – March 2 Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 1
- 2. #AIwebwriting 6 eternal truths, mobile or large screen… • People are impatient • People are impatient • People are impatient • People are impatient • People are impatient • People are impatient Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 2
- 3. #AIwebwriting A potential students speaks… • "If I had to change one thing it would probably be size of the paragraphs, when I clicked to go to certain pages there were paragraphs that were so long and tedious just kind of dragging on the description of the school which made me lose interest because I got bored." Response from one high school student in a January 2016 CCI survey asking “If you could change one thing about our website, what would you change and why?” Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 3
- 4. #AIwebwriting 5 BASIC PRINCIPLES TO START… Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 4
- 5. #AIwebwriting 1. Dense content is not web- friendly… http://www.seas.virginia.edu/admissions/graduate.php Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 5 16 lines!
- 6. #AIwebwriting 2. Extreme claims are not credible… (Names changed to protect the guilty) • “For more than 60 years, XYZ University has maintained a prestigious reputation for the quality of its engineering program. Today, the XYZ University engineering degree remains the ‘gold standard’ of excellence in engineering education. Students graduating with our degree will enter the marketplace armed with skills that are backed by the XYZ University heritage of unmatched quality in the academic preparation of engineering professionals.” Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 6
- 7. #AIwebwriting 3. Reading levels are best kept low… http://www.cam.ac.uk/researchUniversity of Cambridge Research Grade 10 Reading Level Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 7
- 8. #AIwebwriting 4. Brevity is best… • “Twitter forces you to be concise.” • “Twitter forces you to exercise your vocabulary.” • “Twitter forces you to improve your editing skills.” • Jennifer Blanchard, http://bit.ly/eNOIXZ • Use the same skills for Facebook entries Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 8
- 9. #AIwebwriting 5. “You” is a great web word… http://www.stedwards.edu/admission/adultlearners • Write like this… • “Invest in yourself and your success.” • 8 times… • Use of “you” or “your” on this page after the first heading. • Abolish… • “Applicants must…” language. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 9
- 10. #AIwebwriting SCANNABILITY IS MOST IMPORTANT… …if people can’t scan your content they will not read it. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 10
- 11. #AIwebwriting THE GOLDEN RULE… <5 seconds to connect in a scan as a page opens. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 11
- 12. #AIwebwriting Eliminate dense text blocks… • Short paragraphs… 50 words or less • One-sentence paragraph is OK • Short sentences… 5 to 10 words • Subheads… • Active words, not labels, related to page heading • Bullet points • Line spacing Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 12
- 13. #AIwebwriting LONG BLOCKS OF DENSE TEXT KILL SCANNABILITY You can’t force people to read online… If visitors can’t scan a page, few will stay. 13Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
- 14. #AIwebwriting 11-line “Unique Residency…” http://bit.ly/1jhbANW Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 14
- 15. #AIwebwriting “Residency…” in 2 bullet points… Good original use of the “you” word • 2 Unique Residency Experiences • Two of the defining components of the Penn State iMBA are the Term 3 and Term 8 residencies. • In the Term 3 residency, you will study a prominent U.S. firm by spending a week on-site, analyzing their organizational structure and strategy. • In the Term 8 residency, you will participate in a team business simulation held at Penn State University Park in State College, Pennsylvania. • These residency experiences put you in consulting and decision- making roles, allowing you to use the skills and tools you have developed in the program to find solutions to real business problems. • At the conclusion of the Term 8 residency, you will have the opportunity to walk at commencement with the other Penn State master’s and doctoral candidates. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 15
- 16. #AIwebwriting 10-line “Program Highlights”… Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 16
- 17. #AIwebwriting “Program Highlights” in 5 bullet points… And change “students” to “you”• The BS in Elementary Education is a Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) approved program that culminates with both Reading and ESOL endorsement. • The program includes courses in teaching students with English as a second language, students with exceptionalities, reading competency, classroom management, assessment, and integrated approaches to teaching methodologies at the elementary school level. • Students will learn to facilitate lessons that integrate math and science, health, music and movement, as well as literature, fine arts, language arts, and social sciences. • Field experience requirements are progressive in nature, building upon previous semester experiences. • Students will observe teachers in the field, teach lessons through the practicum courses, and complete a full-time teaching internship in their final semester. Courses are offered for full-time and part-time students, with blended and online courses where applicable. • Students will complete one upper division literacy course (3 credit hours) taught by Florida Gulf Coast University faculty. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 17
- 18. #AIwebwriting FONT SIZE? NO SQUINTING! 10 point or 12 point… Fonts are different at same sizes… (Verdana) Fonts are different at same sizes (Arial) Fonts are different at same sizes (Calibri) 18Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
- 19. #AIwebwriting Don’t make them squint… https://360.marist.edu/ba_in_psychology_course_requirem ents Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 19
- 20. #AIwebwriting No squinting at Mizzou Grad School… http://gradstudies.missouri.edu/academics/graduation- requirements/
- 21. #AIwebwriting BLACK TEXT ON WHITE STILL WORKS BEST… Black text on white (or very light) background is best… Avoid low contrast between text and background whatever the color combination. 21Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
- 22. #AIwebwriting Low-contrast text is a killer… http://www.bu.edu/ar/2010/research/ Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 22
- 23. #AIwebwriting SCANNABILITY EXAMPLES… … and a video caveat. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 23
- 24. #AIwebwriting Easy to scan key numbers… http://www.giveto.pitt.edu/campaign/data Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 24
- 25. #AIwebwriting Easy to scan program choices… http://management.bu.edu/graduate/graduate-program Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC... @highedmarketing 25
- 26. #AIwebwriting Easy to scan “Admissions” links… http://www4.esu.edu/admissions/index.cfm Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 26
- 27. #AIwebwriting Easy to scan annual report, w/ video… https://apps.carleton.edu/giving/report/2011/ Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 27
- 28. #AIwebwriting Video hides message engagement… https://apps.carleton.edu/giving/report/2012/ Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 28
- 29. #AIwebwriting TIPS FROM JOURNALISM & DIRECT MARKETING Brief… Clear… Compelling… Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 29
- 30. #AIwebwriting Your website is not for great literature… Moby Dick on the web“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.” I must go to sea when: – I'm depressed or melancholy. – I stop in front of coffin warehouses. – I follow funerals. – I have a powerful urge to knock people's hats off. Continue the adventure here. Thanks to Kathy Henning, Communications Specialist, Seattle Pacific University Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 30
- 31. #AIwebwriting Simple words help people connect… • Newspaper copy words… • “walk”… not “ambulate” • “confuse”… not “discombobulate” • “beat around the bush”… not “prevaricate” • “view”… not “purview” • “glaring”… not “egregious” • “wise” or “smart”… not “judicious” Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 31
- 32. #AIwebwriting “Carewords” to engage people… UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School research • Words people cared about… Top 25% • Advance your career • Balancing work, home, and school • Career advancement • Cost • Best school possible • Prestigious, well- recognized degree • Words that didn’t rank high… Low 25% • Accessible faculty • Experience of faculty • Corporate sponsorship • Shaping leaders • Class diversity (industry or experience) • Format of program Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 32
- 33. #AIwebwriting No need for frou-frou speed bumps… http://www.stanford.edu/about/ • “Stanford University, located between San Francisco and San Jose in the heart of California's Silicon Valley, is one of the world's leading teaching and research universities. Since its opening in 1891, Stanford has been dedicated to finding solutions to big challenges and to preparing students for leadership in a complex world.” Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 33
- 34. #AIwebwriting Strong first sentence stands out… http://clas.uiowa.edu/students/handbook/restart •“ReStart is the academic forgiveness policy of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.” Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 34
- 36. #AIwebwriting Mobile style points… • Importance of the first impression • Headings and first sentences. • Ability to scan, especially from a smartphone. • Simple writing style is even more important. • Short sentences • Short paragraphs • Informal, personal, friendly. • Plenty of white space, as always. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 36
- 37. #AIwebwriting Best editorial decision for mobile… http://www.ucsd.edu/ • Start with immediately visible content words • Content words are navigation points • Don’t let graphics prevent content scans Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 37
- 38. #AIwebwriting WRAPPING UP… K.I.S.S Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC... @highedmarketing 38
- 39. #AIwebwriting The 5 most important pieces… • Identify the top tasks visitors want to complete. • Different audiences have different tasks. • Reduce excessive content plaguing most websites. • Make sure that content is scannable… you have 5 seconds or less. • Short words, sentences, paragraphs. • Subheads, bullet points, links. • Use language that people visiting a site understand & care about. • Be careful in the use of photos and video. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC... @highedmarketing 39
- 40. #AIwebwriting THANKS FOR BEING HERE IN CINCINNATI! Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (248.766.6425) bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 40
- 41. #AIwebwriting RESEARCH & HIGHER ED RESOURCES… Research sources… Higher education web writing guides. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 41
- 42. #AIwebwriting Jakob Nielsen on web writing… http://www.nngroup.com/topic/writing-web/
- 43. #AIwebwriting Gerry McGovern on web writing… http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/new-thinking-by-subject?tid=6
- 44. #AIwebwriting If you only read one book… http://www.redish.net/
- 45. #AIwebwriting Usability.Gov… http://guidelines.usability.gov/ Writing sections… With research strength… Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 45
- 46. #AIwebwriting Test your website for reading level… http://read-able.com/ Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 46
- 47. #AIwebwriting Test your website for mobile… https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insig hts/
- 48. #AIwebwriting Dalhousie University… http://www.dal.ca/webteam/web_style_guide/writing_for_the_we b.html Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 48
- 49. #AIwebwriting New York University… http://bit.ly/1MLUojv Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 49
- 50. #AIwebwriting Hampshire College… https://www.hampshire.edu/communications/web-writing- style-guide Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 50
- 51. #AIwebwriting NEW EXAMPLES… Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 51