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Web
Authoring that Works: |
By Kyle McCaskill, University of
Maine Cooperative Extension, and
Leigh Stribling, Auburn University, Alabama
Agricultural Experiment Station
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In Lesson 4, you will learn how to write effectively for the Web. To do this, we will consider the following:
To help you improve your site, we will offer: |
Computers (especially e-mail and the Internet) have enabled us to produce a degree of information that is overwhelming. We often feel controlled by it rather than empowered by it.
Because of the proliferation of information,
- information has become devalued;
- people have developed coping mechanisms to filter out non-vital information.
People are increasingly discriminating about what they'll take the time to read.
Media have responded to information overload by getting progressively louder and flashier in order to be noticed. The result is that people have become desensitized.
Research has shown that Web users do not want to be entertained, they simply want to find information, quickly and easily. Jared Spool commented that it's remarkable "how bad Web sites are in general." His user research found that users were unable to find answers to site-specific content questions on over 50 percent of Web sites tested.1
Don't fall into the trap of using flash or shock value to get noticed. Quality of content attracts and retains users. The only way to stand out now is to stand apart from the din. Give people what they want and no more. Take the responsibility to self-edit. Include only the words and images that are absolutely necessary.
With the technological power to so easily produce information comes the responsibility to practice what David Shenk terms "Information Restraint."2 Only by simplifying, by reducing content to its bare essentials, can we re-value it.
- The user is in control on the Web. They control where they enter your site, how much they read, where and when they leave.
The Web has inherent credibility problems. Anyone can publish a web page. You have to prove your trustworthiness. To increase your credibility
- stick to the facts (leave out the hyperbole);
- provide outgoing hyperlinks to unquestionably respectable sites with supporting information;
- use bylines if possible;
- provide links that reference you or your organization.
- Print is linear. The Web is a non-linear linking medium. The Web user can enter your document at any page. You can’t count on leading them through from beginning to end like a book or a research paper. Each page must stand on its own; no page can depend upon the assumption that readers have seen previous pages.
Print is easier to read: Upwards of a thousand dpi of printed text is infinitely more readable than the 72 dpi of most computer monitors. Web text is jagged, harder on the eyes, and distorted by screen flicker.
Web users can view online publications only one screen at a time -- a crucial difference between Web and printed publications. The concept of a multi-page document as a unit of information that can be held and viewed as a complete volume is irrelevant on the Internet. Information on the Web takes the form of short, self-contained, interlinked chunks or modules.
- 79 percent of users scan text, and only 16 percent always read word for word.3 Users "forage" for desired content by following hyperlinks and skimming headlines, bulleted lists and bolded text. They track "the scent of information" from page to page. Users find it very frustrating to click on a link, wait for a page to download and then not find what they are seeking. Use of the back button is a sure sign that the user has lost the scent.4
- Users read 25 percent slower from computer screens than from print.5 Reading from computer screens is painful, plagued by low resolution and jagged text edges.
- Over 50 percent of users use search engines to navigate the Web.6 Search engines can bring a user suddenly to any page in your Web site. You should make certain that users instantly know the purpose of the page and how it relates to their search.
- Web users are both HASTY and PICKY. They haven't bought access to your site like they buy a newspaper or a book, so they have less of a vested interest in slogging through information they don't need. The user is in control of what they view, not the author.
- Most users prefer concise, fact-filled text. Users will exit pages which contain long-winded or promotional language.
Because users can arrive at your pages from a number of unpredictable locations -- search engines, hyperlinks on other sites, hyperlinks on your own pages (remember that the Web is inherently non-linear) -- each Web page should be structured to stand on its own.
Examples of microcontent include7
- Page titles
- Headlines
- Subheads
- Links
- Bold or colored text
- ALT text
- Captions
- Pull-quotes
- Navigation bar links
- "In-page" indexes (tables of contents)
Microcontent should be
- able to stand alone. Headlines and links should be completely comprehensible out of context.
- explanatory and informative, not clever or persuasive.
- concise.
- used with purpose to direct and clarify, like road signs. Don't aimlessly crowd the page.
Guidelines for writing effective microcontent
Headlines should appear at the top of your page and should summarize the content of the page. They can be the same as or similar to your page title. Omit opening articles such as "a" or "the" or vague phrases such as "Welcome to." The first word should carry vital information. Language should be plain and simple. Keep headlines to 60 characters or less. Because online headlines often appear out of context as part of search engine lists, e-mail references or bookmarks, users don't have associated information to help them understand the meaning. Make sure your headlines stand on their own.
NOTE: If your site contains lists of other peoples' pages, you may want to rewrite their headlines, in order to better serve your users.All subheads on a page should be of approximately equal significance.
In-page indexes (or tables of contents) are useful if your page has more than two content sections or ideas. Use in-page indexes to summarize the page and provide links to every section of the page without scrolling.
An overview (a summary or introduction) is useful when you are presenting a large document with many sections. Provide links within the text, allowing users to choose their own path. Include an in-page index for users who prefer to follow a traditional path through the article.
Linked text should be explanatory and descriptive so that users know exactly what to expect if they click it. Avoid links that self-reference or reference the Web medium, such as "click here" or "link to home page."
Effective linking strategies help users find what they are looking for. When creating links, keep the following in mind:
- Content links -- links that lead to information -- are more satisfying to users than category links -- links that lead to more links.
- Longer, more descriptive links are better than short links because they help users predict where they will end up.
- Users prefer shallow sites to sites that are too deep. Practice the "three click rule" -- reduce the number of layers users must navigate through to three.
- Provide more than one path to each page. Never trap your user in a dead end.
- Organize content links into easily scannable categories that make sense to your user.
- Provide a linked author e-mail address on each page to help establish credibility and professionalism.
Bold text helps users scan content quickly for points of interest.
ALT tags should explain the significance of the graphics rather than describe its appearance. Keep ALT tags concise (nine words or less is optimum).
Use captions for photos to eliminate any confusion about what the images are and why you are showing them.
Special considerations for your home page
Think of your home page as a 30-second radio spot. In that 30 seconds you must tell your audience
- who you are;
- what you provide;
- why they need you; and
- how they can contact you.
Many Web designers treat home pages like magazine covers, designed to attract users to the information inside. However, home pages are inherently different. A magazine cover is designed to persuade a consumer to buy a publication. By the time a user hits your home page, they've already been persuaded to visit your site. The most effective home pages are functional: they tell users how to find what they need on your site. Describe your four or five basic primary services on your home page and organize those choices into scannable, easily understandable lists.
- Keep text concise: Pare word count to 50 percent of comparable printed information. Relegate details and background information to secondary pages with clear and intuitive links for interested readers. Self-edit mercilessly and seek editorial review for clarity, consistency, grammar and punctuation.
- Write for "scannability." Because most users scan text on the Web, help them find information quickly by
- using bold text to highlight words that convey information. Highlight words that indicate what makes this page different from other pages and summarize content.
- using in-page indexes or tables of contents.
- using bulleted lists.
- using subheads.
- keeping paragraphs short, and keeping them to a single idea each.
- Keep language objective: Avoid buzzwords, adjectives, exaggeration, and unsubstantiated claims. Establish your credibility by avoiding promotional writing styles. Stick to the facts, and use the language and vocabulary of your intended audience.
- Write in an inverted pyramid style: Many of us are trained in traditional academic writing, in which you start with a problem statement or background information, discuss strategies and methods in detail, move on to results or theories and build finally to a conclusion. Journalists and good Web writers reverse this style.
Start with your conclusion. Then provide the most vital supporting information. End with background material. This allows the user to stop at any point and still get the essence of the story. This journalistic technique is even more important on the Web.
Although writing for the Web is similar to writing for newspapers, keep in mind that journalists must provide background information in each article, whereas Web writers can link to background information, including archived articles.
To help users who rely on search engines, include appropriate titles, keywords, and summaries in the HTML <HEAD> of your pages.
A page title is not the same as the page's file name. For example, the file name of this page is "lesson4.htm." The title of this page is "Web Authoring that Works, Lesson 4: Writing for the Web."
Page titles are located in the <HEAD> of a document. The HTML code looks like this:
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Web Authoring that Works, Lesson 4: Writing for the Web</TITLE>
</HEAD>Page titles show up in search engine query hit lists, in browser "bookmarks" or "favorites" menus, and sometimes in hyperlinks to your pages.
Guidelines for writing effective titles:8
- Keep titles between 40 and 60 characters. Because search engine query lists often shorten page titles, keep yours concise.
- Create titles that make sense when viewed out of context. Titles should be able to stand alone.
- Make the first word descriptive. Users often scan through long lists of titles to choose pages. Avoid generic phrases like "Welcome to" and articles like "the" or "a."
- Give each page its own unique title. Pages about the same topic can start with the same words but should end with words that explain the differences between them.
- Write titles in upper and lower case.
- Avoid teasers that entice people to click to find out what your page is about. Users are frustrated by ambiguous or inaccurate page titles.
"Keywords" are the terms users type into search engines when initiating a search. In order for search engines to locate and list your information accurately, you should include appropriate keywords on your pages.
Locate your keywords in the <HEAD> of your document, before the <TITLE>. A keyword META-tag looks like this:
<META name="keywords" content="University of Maine, Cooperative Extension, education, research, agriculture, potato, crop, Verticillium Wilt, fungal disease, tuber">
Guidelines for writing keyword tags:
- Create a list of terms appropriate to your subject matter.
- Add keywords to the META-tag of all related pages.
- Use only keywords that describe the main topic of a page.
- Do not add a keyword if the page is only peripherally related to the term.
Many search engines display summaries below the page title in their query hit list. A one-sentence summary helps users quickly determine if your page matches their interest as they sift through dozens of search results.
Locate your one-sentence summary in the <HEAD> of your document, before the "keywords" and <TITLE> META-tags. A "description" META-tag looks like this:
<META name="description" content="Verticullium wilt of potatoes is a fungal disease found in Maine crops which can cause yield losses by a reduction in tuber sizes.">
It is good practice to repeat your "description" META-tag as the first sentence on your page.
A one-paragraph summary is an expanded version of the one-sentence summary and is sometimes used by quality search engines. A one-paragraph summary gives users further insight into your information in a few short sentences. Place one-paragraph summaries in the description META-tags of your pages, as in the one-sentence summary example shown above.
Guidelines for writing effective one-sentence summaries:9
- Keep one-sentence summaries to 150 characters or less.
- Write summaries that make sense when read out of context.
- Use descriptive terms that tell users what the page is about and allow them to judge its relevance.
- Concentrate on the facts. Do not use promotional or exaggerated language.
1. Take a print document and rewrite it for the Web. Cut the amount of copy by 50 percent. Divide long paragraphs into shorter chunks. Use "microcontent" techniques.
2. Test a document from your Web site for readability. For example, do the title, summary, and major headings provide a very broad overview of the topic? If you skim the highlights (minor points in boldfaced text), do they tell a story? Would a user be able to piece together the bits that are in between, taking away the ideas without all reading every detail?
3. Test your image ALT-tags to determine if they are useful. Imagine reading the alternate text aloud over the telephone. Would your listener understand the meaning of your image description?
The New York Times home page is a good example of a page with its headline information located at the top -- the portion of the page most users will see.
The Information Chronicle includes a good example of an "in-page" index.
CNN's home page is an excellent example of the effective use of micro-content to inform and direct. Note also the inverted pyramid writing style, in which the story is summarized in a chunk that provides a link to the rest of the article.
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1http://www.webword.com/interviews/spool.html.
Retrieved from the Web 2-12-02.
2See David Shenk, Data Smog: Surviving the Information
Glut, (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997).
3How
Users Read on the Web, Jacob Nielson
4http://www.webreview.com/1999/07_30/strategists/07_30_99_1.shtml.
See also Information Foraging Theory by Xerox PARC researchers Peter Pirolli and
Stuart Card, http://www.acm.org/turing/sigs/sigchi/chi95/Electronic/documnts/papers/ppp_bdy.htm.
Both retrieved from the Web 2-12-02.
5Web
Facts, Sun Microsystems (Jacob Nielson and Jonathan Fox)
6Scannability,
Sun Microsystems (Jacob Nielson and Jonathan Fox)
7Microcontent information was largely summarized from Amy Gahran's
"In Web Writing, Little Things Mean a Lot," http://websitejournal.netscape.com/O=wsg/interview/041499_microcontent.html,
retrieved from the Web 8/28/00.
8Writing
to Be Found, Sun Microsystems (Jacob Nielson and Jonathan Fox)
9Ibid.
10Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0,
W3C
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