We all know what it's like getting a shiny new website developed; exciting conversations of what will be, gorgeous designs, and the countdown to the launch day where you can tell everyone you know in the world to check out your site! With all that excitement it can be easy to forget about possibly the most important aspect of your website... it's content. If your website aims to inform or entertain the audience this is what they've come for, this is what they need and they're looking to you to provide it. When planning the content for your new website it’s very important to think about your audience and communicating your key messages across to them whilst providing them with the information they require to fulfill their goals.
Tips to get you started thinking about your content
Writing can be difficult for anyone, and writing for the web is a new challenge few have experience of managing or creating.
Plan Plan Plan
Don't leave writing your content to the last minute. Start thinking about what information your website needs to provide from day one and plan what you're going live with and what can come later.
Don't be a perfectionist (in the early days)
Designing around real content is always the best way to ensure you get a website which meets your needs and allows you to see your words of wisdom in context of your website so you can further refine and make it the best it can be!
Responsibility
Assign content controllers who will review proposed content, hold regular reviews and ensure the content is kept up to update and fresh high quality content is regularly added.
Content is key
Text which flows well, easy to read, a tone which matches your brand and your audience. Leave out the sales talk. Sell with facts and real content. Get a copywriter if you lack the skills.
Get to the point
Like a newspaper article sum up everything concisely in the first paragraph and go on to give detail and back up.
No geek speak!
Write in plain and simple English. Use language your audience will understand. No acronyms or jargon.
Keep it short and sweet
No one likes reading on the web, it’s a lot harder than on print so keep it concise
Read, cut, read again and cut again so only the essential information is left.
Think from your customer perspective
Keep it relevant to the essential information they want. Don't worry about stepping on anyone's toes - leave out your business and individual department objectives.
Format and summarise
Format your text to make it easy to scan and understand:
- Emphasis keywords in bold
- Don’t underline anything which is not a link
- Only use bullet points to sum up short items
- Don’t use italics, they can be hard to read on a monitor.
- Text should not span the whole page as this means users have to turn their head or strain their eyes. Keeping content within a limit lets people read quickly and easily as well as scanning for links.
- Left align text, don’t justify
Calls to action
Name links meaningful things with an action which the audience can understand e.g. Download e-commerce brochure.
Test your content
It doesn't have to be a full scale usability exercise. Gives some friends and family a task and see if they can explain the answer to you after browsing your website.
More around the web:Content not always king - www.kickerstudio.com Writing user friendly content - www.uxbooth.com
Is it web writing or just good writing? - www.goodusability.co.uk
Web content strategy - www.shayhowe.com
