Writing for the Web Dugoni School of Dentistry University of the Pacific

1. Writing for the WebDugoni Schoolof DentistryUniversity of the Pacific Lynn Donham Zehno Cross Media Communications

2. A paradigm shift • Freeze-dried! A dramatically different style of writing • Blend of classically strong writing and new format • “Omit unnecessary words!” — Strunk & White • Use active voice • Usually half the length of standard writing

3. The alternative • Students, faculty and staff avoid using the web, preferring the phone or individual emails • Outsiders find the home page confusing and give up before they find what they need • Faculty and staff continue to be bogged down with routine transactions • Limits relationships and impact the College could have

4. How users read* • *They don’t • Web users scan • 79% of those tested always scanned any new page • 16% read word-for-word • “F” pattern found in eye-tracking usability studies • Jakob Neilsen, Neilsen Nelson Group, 1997, 1999

5. Implications of the F Pattern • Users won’t read your text thoroughly • The first two paragraphs must state the most important information • Start subheads, paragraphs and bullet points with words that carry the meaning

7. Scannable text Text that communicates to scanners uses • Highlighted keywords • Meaningful headings and subheadings • Bulleted lists • One idea per paragraph (users skip over any more if they aren’t caught by the first few words) • Half the usual word count

8. Measuring effectiveness Researchers measured usability by the success rate of users in accomplishing the same task. • 5 versions of basically the same web pages • Three improvements boosted usability 124% • Scannable text • Concise writing (omit needless words; distill) • Objective language; no puffery, exaggerations

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14. Organizing Content • Making the jump to a non-linear model • Inverted Pyramid Style

15. Inverted pyramid style • The conclusion or ending comes first • College welcomes largest class ever. • Most important supporting information comes next • Record SAT scores • Large increase in traditional age students • New faculty hired

16. Then add the background • Increase is pay-off from new Web site • Business is most popular major • Additional parking added • Additional computer lab opened

18. Chunking • Segment writing into smaller, coherent units to avoid long, scrolling pages. Each page is an inverted pyramid connected to the larger subject. • Try to keep most important information above the “fold” — the limit of the initial screen view without scrolling • Take care not to over-divide your information. For critical information, such as Admissions Requirements, users will print out and read.

19. Redundancy • Expect related Web pages to have some overlap • The highest priority is to make things clear to your reader • Try to provide a complete account of the subject with an appropriate amount of background or detail.

22. Links • A bonus for online writing—invite further pursuit of topic or provide additional aspects • George Landow, professor of English and art history at Brown, named both ends of the link • Rhetoric of departure • Rhetoric of arrival • Highlights the need for both ends of the link to give users understanding of where they may go and why the arrival page is relevant

23. Pitfalls to avoid • Visual distraction: colored and underlined text within a paragraph pulls the eye and disrupts the unit. Most readers will click on link without ever finishing the paragraph. • Disrupting the narrative: Links lead to stories half-told. Users may follow the link, and subsequent ones, and never return to your site. • Highlights the need for both ends of the link to tell users where they may go and why the arrival page is relevant

24. Writing to levels of interest: None • Helps people with no interest avoid your page • Reduces traffic and load on your server • Helps guide people to desired pages

25. Writing to levels of interest: None • Write clear and informative titles to make links clearer • Promote your site and links only in relevant locations • Give accurate descriptions and keywords for search engines

26. Writing to levels of interest:Title only • The page title is the first piece of information you give your reader • Title is the single piece to invite (link) the reader to the page • Clear, meaningful titles improve this first filter of users to your page • Titles should contain the basic idea of the page – like CNN Headline News for Web readers.

27. Writing to levels of interest:One-sentence summary • The purpose of the one-sentence summary is for links to your page. It’s the final defense against readers with no interest. • Many hubs and directories publish a one-sentence description with each link. It may as well be yours. • Hubs and directories will often pick up the sentence you provide.

28. Writing to levels of interest:One-sentence summary • Helps readers know quickly if they’ve come to the right spot • Helps readers determine their interest in your page. Consider this the “small interest level” filter. • Gives readers a heads-up into the major point of the page • Make it the first sentence on the page

30. Writing to levels of interest:One-paragraph summary • Will be used by high-quality hubs • Gives you a few seconds to influence the reader • Provides insight into your material • Bookmark choices

31. Microcontent:Heads and subheads • Use to make your major points • Need to be pearls of clarity, not cleverness • 40-60 characters • Make first word important, information-carrying • Often displayed out of context as part of lists • Search engines, email subjects, bookmarks • Must stand on its own and make sense • Skip “A” and “The” in titles—n a list this could put it in a confused mess under “T’s”

32. Microcontent:Subheads • Use to make your minor points • Enables reader to scroll down and understand your points without even stopping • Those who skim can easily pick out information • Points are highlighted for those reading all details • People re-reading the page can review quickly • Finding specific points is easier

33. Microcontent:Subheads • Minor points detail the information supporting the major point • Highlight them by • Boldfacing the font • Using topic sentences • Creating bulleted lists • Or consider a combination of these • Consider large, pull-out quotes in magazines as example.

34. Detailed content:Finally! • Use a writing style that assumes strong interest • Structure your content to assume a series of visits to page • Personal, informal, conversational style • Make it useful to your reader, not just of interest to you • The more specific, the more useful

35. Detailed content:Strunk & White • Omit needless words • Keep it simple, unless content dictates otherwise • Use active voice • Put statements in positive form • Keep to one tense • Write in a way that comes naturally • Do not overstate • Do not affect a breezy manner • Do not explain too much • Avoid fancy words • Be clear

36. Detailed content:Empower the user • Make sure people know what your site, and each page will do for them • If people need or want to act on your information, provide them what they need. • request a transcript • join a student organization • Use italics for emphasis and clarity I said I liked it. I said I liked it. I said I liked it. I said I liked it. I said I liked it.

37. “Killer content” examples • Research by Gerry McGovern • Out of 18 choices, why does one piece of content get 49 percent of the vote while another gets 0? • Tested a range of headings and summaries in 14 countries, with almost 3,000 people. • People were asked to scan 31 headings and 18 summaries about a particular subject and quickly choose the one that stood out for them.

38. Research con’t Subject areas: • The launch of iTunes • A pet food scare • A launch of discount software by Microsoft • The launch of the final Harry Potter book Top headings: • Tons of tunes (22 percent) • Poison found in pet food (30 percent) • $3 software for developing countries (23 percent) • Flying off the shelves (31 percent)

39. Research con’t Bottom headings • Apple's Music Store breaks the mold and sells technology (0 percent) • Rodent poison found in now-recalled pet food blamed for animal deaths (0 percent) • Three-Dollar Windows for Govt-Subsidized Student Computers... (0 percent) • 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' sells 2.6 million copies in 24 hours (0 percent)

40. Research con’t Top summaries • 99 cents per download, no restrictions. One million tracks sold online in one week encouraging sign for ailing music industry, Apple ... (49 percent) • By Josh Fineman and Michael Quint. March 23 (Bloomberg) -- Rat poison killed at least 16 cats and dogs and prompted last week's recall of 60 million cans of ... (38 percent) • Microsoft plans to offer a $3 stripped-down package of Windows, Office and other software to people in developing ... (34 percent) • WARNING: If you don't want to know what happens in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," stop reading now. JK Rowling is far too savvy a ... (38 percent)

41. Research con’t BOTTOM SUMMARIES • The music industry owes a lot to technology. But the new millennium has brought slumping sales. Technology now terrifies music executives ... (0 percent) • BY MICHAEL AMON. At first, the pet food recall didn't much worry Jack Friedman. His cats love Iams canned food but had never eaten the "cuts and gravy" ... (0 percent) • In its effort to remain competitive and relevant to today's new generation of Windows users around the world, Microsoft unveiled on Thursday a new program ... (0 percent) • Cash tills around the world rang to the tune of Harry Potter over the weekend and the seventh and final book in the ... (0 percent)

42. Lessons learned-McGovern • The Web is the ultimate laboratory for content. It allows us to know, with increasing precision, what content leads to a positive action, and what content leads to the Back button. • The content that works on the Web has one key characteristic: it is customer-centric. • The content that doesn't work on the Web also has one key characteristic: it is organization-centric.

43. Lessons learned-McGovern • People today want an immediate answer to the question: What's in it for me? They want brutal, pared-down content that gets to the point immediately. • Your website is not a murder mystery. Short, sharp, second person and active; that's web content. • Get to the point. Then stop.

44. Words that count • McGovern’s Customer Carewords™ approach is built on the foundation of knowing the exact words your audience cares about most • If you use these words with your audiences, your website will deliver more value • For you, its using everyday words that convey the key messages and core values central to your school.

45. Begin with the end in mind • Vision and Mission • Core Values • Humanism • Innovation • Leadership • Reflection • Stewardship • Collaboration • Philanthropy

46. How do you show this? • Simplicity • Tell stories • Keep it concrete • Be specific • Know why it matters to your audience

47. Save the white space … • Gouch

48. … it’s endangered • Gouch

49. Short and snappy • Penn Dental

50. Headlines too long • Penn Dental