Ask a Writer
By Brian O'Grady
Why most web sites 'suck' II - cont'd
Q: Last month you said too much graphic design, unqualified opinions, and the newness of the medium lead to lousy web sites. What does this have to do with writing?
A: Thanks for asking! These same issues are faced by web writers: text volume, unqualified opinions, and the newness of the medium play havoc with the quality of online communication.
Text Volume
Web time is like TV time: attention spans contract and you've got 10 seconds to communicate your message. Ideally, do it in less than 3. Ever notice how often the camera angle changes in your favourite sit com? Even if it's the same scene, directors change the angle to provide fresh visual stimulation and reset the attention span of the audience. This has enormous implications for online text. To be effective, it has to be really short and cut right to the chase.
Everyone can surf, everyone can write online (unqualified opinions)
People inside an organization know a whole lot more about that organization than the average audience member. Thus, the internal expectations for the text required on a web site, and what needs to appear there, are very different than those of the audience. A good rule is that if everyone at work is satisfied with the web site text, it's time to stand on the delete key. The only way to know for sure is to test members of your audience.
The medium is the message
We discussed this McLuhan statement in regards to web navigation but it's equally important for text. The medium defines how web text should be treated. For example, another reason to keep text short online is that people don't actually read screen text, they scan. Hyperlinks make scrolling obsolete because you can-and should-jump to another page. This has the added benefit of resetting that short attention span. Since people scan, provide visual clues to what's really important by bolding key words and phrases. For an example, look at cardcommunications.com.
Ten years from now, every writer and designer will know these web rules along with many others and fight hard to follow them. Why not lead the charge?
Have a question for Brian? Send him an email.
Brian O'Grady is a senior writer with Pens 4 Hire, a professional writing firm with a unique appreciation for audience. Between writing tasks in high-tech, real estate, health and non-profit, Brian tries to convince his dog, Duchess, that 3 walks a day is plenty.
|
|
