In past posts I talked about home pages, pathway pages, at getting information. In this post I want to focus on breaking up documents of large blocks into separate pages. Basically what to put in information pages.
Most people don’t jump right in and read. They skim and scan, even on information pages. They are deciding:
- Did I get where I thought I was going?
- Is what I’m looking for on this page?
Six guidelines for focusing on your essential message
- Give people only what they need.
- Cut, Cut, Cut! And cut again!
- Start with the key point. Write in inverted pyramid style.
- Break down walls of words
- Market by giving useful information.
- Layer for different needs.
A good mantra for the web is less is more. And remember that the web is about what people want and need to know, not about saying everything there is to say on a topic.
Leave enough to be clear
As you write and revise web content, remember that you are conversing with real people. Those people bring all of their previous experience and knowledge – and also their lack of experience and knowledge – to understanding what you are writing.
Start with the key point.
Whatever you essential message is, put it first. Many web users read only a few words of a page – or of a paragraph – before deciding if it is going to be relevant and easy for them to get through.
Inverted pyramid style:
Inverted pyramid style draws readers into the material right at the beginning – often with a small story or with interesting and relevant facts.
Break down walls of words
Even with the inverted pyramid style, keep your paragraphs short and use bulleted lists. Break up the text. Very short paragraphs or bullet points work best.
Each small topic needs its own heading. Each question and answer needs the question as a heading and the answer in short sentences or as a bulleted list.
All sites sell – products or themselves
E-commerce sites sell best by
- Helping site visitors find what they want
- Giving them the information they want about the product
- Getting them through the buying process effectively and efficiently
And they succeed best when site visitors get what they want: reliable, credible, up-to-date, factual information that is easy to find, easy to understand, and easy to use.
Layering from part of the page to a short explanation
You can do this with a small second window that overlays part of the main window or with a rollover.
(A word about definition windows: Make each word and definition its own file. Don’t’ just jump people to the right definition in a very long file that contains the entire glossary.)
When you use small second windows for this type of layering, include a Close Window link.
