Usability 101- My Misconceptions Revealed Part II
My last post was an introduction to website usability and the new writing rules I encountered while working at a digital marketing firm. I discovered a distinct style for web writing and learned how people read copy on websites.
For the first time, I learned about website usability, the ease of which a person can complete a desired task on a web page and how that affects the way a website presents information to the end user. Today, I share with you one of the largest misconceptions I had when it came to writing web content.
Misconception #1: Reading is reading. People read the same way, whether offline or online, which means that the same content can be used in both places.
This could not be farther from the truth. In fact, there is a world of difference between the way users approach online content and offline mediums. While working at a digital marketing firm, I learned that websites are an active medium and offline mediums are passive meaning people go online with a mission or intent while offline readers may not be actively searching for something.
Much to my surprise, this means that online users do not read web copy as they would a book. Instead, users scan websites for actionable content, useful information that will move them closer to their initial intention. I soon discovered that this changes how copy should be written for the web and set out to retool my efforts.
What I’ve learned: Writing concise actionable content is the way to create web content that will actually get read.
I learned to cut down the fluff when I write for the web. Jakob Nielsen’s website, useit.com, offers some good tips to think about when writing web content.
• Use concise scannable text that contains highlighted keywords
• Use meaningful sub-headings, not clever ones.
• Bulleted lists help users scan
• One idea per paragraph
• Begin with the conclusion or insight first, also called inverted pyramid style
• Use half the word count you would use in conventional writing
Learning these simple concepts has helped me create content that aids users in their search for information. My next hurdle was content usability. I discovered that it’s not just what you write, but how you arrange it on a webpage that also counts.
