<p style=”float: right”><img src=”http://www.badog.ca/wp-content/themes/glazed/images/f-pattern.gif” /></p> I have been recently reading research and articles on web usability with the hopes of gaining insight into how I can continue to increase some of my web properties’ ROI. As a web designer one of my biggest challenges has been to forego aesthetic in favor of a simple <span style=”font-weight: bold” class=”Apple-style-span”>usable/accessible approach to web building</span>. Design for design’s sake does have it’s place – just not on corporate sites. I had to conceed that the primary objective of a corporate website is to make money either directly or indirectly. HOW? By attracting and keeping visitors. Sounds easy enough right? Funny enough that is what clients think. However any web designer who attempts to focus on <span style=”font-weight: bold” class=”Apple-style-span”>usability and accessibility</span> will tell you their craft has not been without sweat. The only way to attract or even keep a visitor on your site for longer than 2 seconds is to have well written content that is easy to find. Why? Because that is the user’s main goal. Content is king as the saying goes. Well there are some things to really consider when writing content for your business site. <blockquote>Usability increases when users need fewer mental transformations to convert a sentence into actionable understanding.</blockquote> As taken from the Web’s Usuability King – Jakob Nielson here are some things that will transform your content and increase leads/readership. <ul> <li>Users scan Web content in an F-pattern, and often read only the first 2 words of a paragraph. Read more about F-Shaped Pattern Reading <a href=”http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html”>HERE.</a></li> <li>Make the writing EASY to read – use positive statements with an active voice. Example: download this e-brochure here</li> <li>It’s difficult for readers to understand passive sentences that don’t explicitly state the actor. State who should do what. Example: car buyers download e-brochure here.</li> <li>Web users do not like long, scrolling pages: they prefer the text to be short and to the point.</li> <li>Web users detest anything that seems like marketing fluff or overly hyped language.</li> <li>Studies of how users read on the Web found that they do not actually read: instead, they scan the text to try and find the information they are looking for.</li> </ul>A study of five different writing styles found that a sample Web site scored <span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-weight: bold”>58%</span> higher in measured usability when it was written concisely, <span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-weight: bold”>47%</span> higher when the text was scannable, and <span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-weight: bold”>27%</span> higher when it was written in an objective style instead of the promotional style used in the control condition and many current Web pages. Combining these three changes into a single site that was concise, scannable, and objective at the same time resulted in <span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-weight: bold”>124%</span> higher measured usability. <h3>How to make your content more scannable and therefore more usable</h3> <ul> <li> Use of headings, large type, bold text, highlighted text, bulleted lists, graphics, captions, topic. sentences, and tables of contents.</li> <li>Use only one idea per paragraph.</li> <li>Don’t be afraid to increase the line-height of your sentences and paragraphs. In a cluttered web some breathing room is greatly appreciated.</li> <li>Summaries and overviews are great and they should be placed first.</li> <li>Use of links add credibility.</li> <li>Graphics which support the copy are helpful.</li> </ul> More usability studies on <a href=”http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/”>web writing</a>
