More Related Content Similar to Writing Web Content that Works (20) Writing Web Content that Works1. Writing Web Content that Works
Janice (Ginny) Redish, Ph.D.
Redish & Associates, Inc.
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
+1 301−229−3039
ginny@redish.net
www.redish.net
@GinnyRedish May 2012
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Topics for this morning
Setting the context
Planning successful conversations
Answering site visitors’ questions
Organizing the conversation
Writing the conversation
Checking for success
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Sharing stories
You use web sites that others have developed.
When did you last go to the web?
Why did you go to the web?
What were you trying to do
or what were you looking for?
Share your story
with your neighbor.
Flickr cc photo by theworldcafe
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What do people want from web sites?
Content
Information
To do a task
To satisfy their goals
People just want to
get an answer
do a task
© iStockphoto solve a problem
engage in a social conversation
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Navigation and search are critical
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Good, clear design is critical
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Technology that works is critical
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But they all support the content
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Every use of your web site
is a conversation started by the site visitor
trails
© iStockphoto
How well does your site converse with your site visitors?
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You site converses well only if…
Your site visitors can
find what they need
understand what they find
act appropriately on that understanding
in the time and effort that they think it is worth
Find Understand Act
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Your web content must meet both...
Your site visitors'
Your goals goals
(and their reality)
Successful
web content
and conversations
If you don't design for your site visitors' realities,
you are not likely to meet your goals!
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Plan before you write
Think first.
Write second.
Why? (your purposes)
Who? (your site visitors, personas)
When and why?
(your site visitors’ goals, tasks,
conversations)
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Why? (your purposes)
Align with the business' overall strategy and goals
Be specific
Be measurable
Focus on your site visitors / readers
€
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Be specific
Kenneth W. Davis
http://www.manageyourwriting
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Be measurable
When you write what do you want
this type of content to happen?
Proposal
Email to get funding
to go to a conference
Report with
recommendations
Instructions
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Focus on your site visitors
We want to
sell products
have people buy our products
inform people about ...
answer people's questions about …
tell people how to do [this task]
have people do the task correctly
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Who? (Your personas)
Whom are you conversing with?
Name each group.
Travelers
frequent
occasional
© iStockphoto
Hip, young professionals
Seniors
Always name people.
✗ Travel agencies
Travel agents
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What should you keep in mind about these people?
Add adjectives or phrases that describe them.
Examples: No time. Don’t
time constraints (busy? multi-tasking?) want to read.
Just give me the
attitudes (worried? curious?) information.
subject matter knowledge
primary language
reading ability
computer and web experience
Not what content they are looking for.
We'll get to that later.
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Create personas to converse with
Epcor Utilities, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, used with permission
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When and why?
(Site visitor’s conversations)
© iStockphoto
Flickr photo by rogerfer
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What types of pages
does a typical site have?
Multi-purpose
Navigation
Destination –
place to do the task
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www.napaanesthesia.com
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© iStockphoto
www.vizergy.com
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© iStockphoto
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© iStockphoto
www.ebags.com
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Flickr cc photo
by Mr.Thomas
www.mint.com
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Summarizing so far
Content = conversation.
Site visitors start the conversation.
Know your purposes, your personas, their conversations.
Converse with your personas.
“Hear” what they are asking and answer their questions.
Don’t hog the conversation – keep it short.
Make it personal.
Make it visual.
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Break
After the break
Organizing – headlines, headings,
key message first, bite / snack / meal
Writing the conversation –
sentences and words
Checking for success
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36. Don’t lecture.
Don’t hog the conversation.
Take turns.
“Hear” the site visitor’s
next question.
www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/asthmachildren.htm
38. Break your content
into pieces
with headings.
Verbs – calls to action
make good headings.
Notice the difference
in headlines:
Physical Exercise
Physical Exercise:
Getting Started
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For articles, use a medium length headline
Study by Outbrain.com, reported by Kelly Reeves, June 3, 2011
http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/06/headline-click-through-rate/
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Include informative headings
Headings help by
breaking up the information
making the information manageable
creating visual separation on the web page
drawing the eyes
providing context so people can make sense
of what follows
If you write page titles,
headlines, and headings
Thinking about headings using site visitors' key words,
helps authors analyze your pages will come up high
the information. in search engine results.
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Start with your key message
“Hear” your site visitor’s question after each sentence you write.
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Nielsen and Pernice,
Eye-Tracking Web
Usability
Also, see Redish,
Letting Go of the Words,
102 – 106
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Layer information (bite, snack, meal)
Bite: Snack: Meal:
headline quick summary; details
key message first
Even the whole meal
should be
easy to digest.
Concept from Leslie O'Flahavan
www.ewriteonline.com NSF news example
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Keep it short and easy to scan
Find Understand Act
I make jewelry. If I want
to sell through Etsy,
how does it work?
Flickr cc photo
by pedrosimeos7
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Converse with your site visitor
Caroline Jarrett
Gerry Gaffney
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Use pronouns
Pricing of our services is dependent
on the level of assistance and
service chosen.
Our prices depend on how much help
you need and what we do for you.
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Focus on action − verbs, not nouns
Upon successful completion of the online renewal
transaction, printing the membership card will be an
option.
When you finish renewing online, you can print your
membership card.
Renew online. Then, print your membership card.
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Use the shortest, simplest word
with the right meaning
We all read the short, simple, common words faster.
People inside an organization overestimate the words
people outside know by about 30 percent.
✗ "dumbing down"
✔ respecting your busy site visitors' time
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Helping low-literacy users helps everyone
Summers, K. and Summers, M., 2005,
Reading and Navigational Strategies of Web Users with Lower Literacy Skills,
ASSIST 2005, available from http://iat.ubalt.edu/summers/
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What's wrong with this sentence?
Interested persons, on or before June 14,
2013, may submit to the Hearing Clerk, 1000
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
20000, written comments regarding this
proposal. Faxed comments will be accepted at
202-555-1234. To submit comments
electronically, go to this site:
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Always, think “conversation”
Try it.
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Read, edit, revise, collaborate
First draft ≠ final draft
Read your work out loud.
Ask someone else to read it out loud.
Don’t ask if they liked it.
Ask what message
they got from it.
Listen! Then revise.
Work together.
Flickr cc photo by wakacheeka
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Do usability testing
www.usability.gov
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Walk your personas
through their conversations
✔
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@GinnyRedish
Thank you
Obrigada Ginny Redish
Janice (Ginny) Redish
Redish & Associates, Inc.
Bethesda, MD, USA
ginny@redish.net
www.redish.net
+1 301 229 3039
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