What not to do:
Print this and read it and you will find it is easier than reading it on
the screen. Writing for the Web is not like writing on an 8.5 X 11" piece of
paper. When you write on a piece of paper your eyes can
scan down the discrete print format, jump to headings and paragraphs, turn
pages, etc. The document is readily accessible, and our eyes have been
trained and have adapted to paper as the medium. It is different for a
computer screen's monitor. Small type is difficult to read because of the
resolution of the type's display. Sentences fill the width of the monitor,
and often are too wide. The writing style differs. Instead,
browsers (you) on the web want to know immediately if the page is relevant to what
they are looking for. For that reason, a "bottom down" approach is
necessary, with the conclusion or summary at the top. This may seem like a
superficial treatment of subject matter, and it can be. However, keep in
mind that millions of websites compete to deliver information, and if your website
is written in a clear, direct manner, you will succeed in delivering information.
Badly designed websites come in several varieties: One of the
worst is a page that is text heavy, which reads like "Moby Dick".
Interminable text goes on and on demanding perseverance to get to the good parts.
"Computer eyes" tire way before they get to this point. This is not to say
that a page of heavy text is not appropriate for the web! Rather, the web
can be a very effective way of delivering information that is
printed,
and then read. It is said that "reading" webpages is 25% slower than on
paper.
Another variety of bad design is graphics heavy: extensive
graphics not only take a long time to download, but can obscure your message.
Often little ditsy graphics blinking and bouncing across the screen distract the
reader. Banners (advertisements?) which have nothing to do with the content
similarly overwhelm or obscure the message. Confusing images mislead the
browser, confusing where to go in the website for more information, or leaving you
in a limbo of irrelevant information. Often graphics take an inordinate time to
download, and a long download time yields impatience. The end result:
viewers move on.
Writing
effective Web pages:
- The topic, its main idea, and its conclusion
should be immediately visible, locatable, or knowable
- Ideas rule structure
main ideas at the "top" of the screen;
supporting and secondary information below
- Structure of the content and the website
should be readily recognizable to your visitor
- Simple constructions are best;
limit one idea to a group of words, whether sentence, phrase,
paragraph
- Avoid technical terminology
unless you clearly and intentionally have its purpose in mind and
definition available
- Data, detail, and complexity
are subjects for subsequent pages and should be logically placed
- Each subsequent page's content
should be apparent by its link, and consistent with its
predecessor
- Detailed information
can be accessed through links for printing
- Edit out the superfluous
no matter how clever if it detracts from your message
- Spell check,
then have your pages independently proof-read
- Always focus on your message.
Invite feedback with a "mailto" for comments, suggestions,
questions to enhance the effectiveness of your website;
ignore (don't respond to or waste your time on) idiotic responses
- Formatting:
- Each page should be consistent in design
- Use a table, one row/one column, to center your text in
the monitor's display (80% or so) to create margins left and
right
- leave white space between paragraphs to enhance
readability
- reinforce text
- elaborate on text
- highlight text
- replace text
- be meaningless and distracting
(not!)
Website overview: Since 1996 the
Study Guides and Strategies web site
has been researched, authored, maintained and supported by Joe Landsberger
as an international, learner-centric, educational public service. Permission is granted to freely copy, adapt,
and distribute individual Study Guides in print format in non-commercial educational settings that benefit learners. Please be aware that the Guides welcome, and are under, continuous review and revision. For that reason, reproduction of all content on the Internet
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