Be Succinct! (Writing for the Web)
Re-writing activity based on article of the same name, by Jakob Nielson.
The three main guidelines for writing on the web are:
- Be succinct: write no more than 50% of the text you would have used in a hardcopy publication
- Write for scanability : don't require users to read long continuous blocks of text
- Use hypertext to split up long information into multiple pages
Be Succinct
Reading from a computer screen is considerabley slower than reading from print. It is also harder on the eyes. Because of this, it is important to keep online articles short. A good length is 50% less than you would write in a normal publication.
Scanability
Most users prefer to scan a story on the web. It is important to break up, and organize information carefully. Using heads and subheads, as well as white space and colored text can be a good way of making a page easier to scan.
Hypertext Structure
Hypertext provides a good way of adding almost infinite depth to a web story. When words are linked in the body of the text users have the option to read additional information, or skip over it and continue reading the story. When used correctly, hypertext is an excellent way to increase the content of a story without detracting from its readability.