How Users Read on the Web:

They don’t. 

• Web users read about 20 percent of the words on a webpage. 
• The more words on your webpage, the less they’ll read.

They scan.

• Searching for very specific information.
• Scanning for headings, specific words, links…anything that catches their attention or matches the reason they are visiting your website in the first place. 

About Those “Users”…

• They are impatient: You have less than 12 seconds before they click off your page (and perhaps even your website).
• Providing clear and concise messages is not about user intelligence. It is about the writer making it easy for the reader. 
• Formatting content in scannable chunks is not about users’ inability to read dense copy. It is about presenting information in the way that people expect to see it on the web.

The majority of web visitors do not read all of the text on a webpage. Instead, they skim the page, scanning for headings, specific words, links…anything that catches their attention or matches the reason they are visiting your website in the first place.

Because of the way that people read on the web, it is very important to write clearly and concisely and to format your copy in scannable chunks.

Four Techniques To Use

1. Craft clear, concise messages

• ​​Get to the point immediately
  • Use action verbs
  • Omit unnecessary words
• Stick to the point
  • Keep the subject matter of each webpage focused
  • Sticking to one topic per webpage increases its visibility to search engines
• Then stop
  • Don’t give users a lot of unnecessary or extra information

2. Be straightforward

• Use common words
  • Plain language helps you communicate more effectively on the web
  • It helps readers find what they need and understand what they find
• Use action verbs

INSTEAD OF: In order to USE: To

INSTEAD OF: We are currently planning USE: We are planning

INSTEAD OF: When used without USE: Without

INSTEAD OF: Is required to USE: Must

INSTEAD OF: Utilize USE: Use

INSTEAD OF: Facilitate USE: Help

INSTEAD OF: Methodology USE: Method

INSTEAD OF: Sufficient  USE: Enough

INSTEAD OF: Conduct an analysis USE: Analyze

INSTEAD OF: Do an assessment USE: Assess

INSTEAD OF: Provide assistance USE: Help

INSTEAD OF: The use of  USE: Using

3. Use personal pronouns

• Personal pronouns like “You,” “me,” and “I” pull readers in and make your material more relevant to them

4. Provide basic information

• In your “About Us” section, state who you are, what you do, and where you are located. Don't assume that everyone already knows
• Include a tagline on your homepage that summarizes what you do in one sentence or phrase
• List contact information and a map or directions in a prominent place on your website

Four Things to Avoid:

1. Jargon, industry terms, or academic-speak

• Avoid using words that typical readers may not understand
• Many terms that are familiar to Georgia Tech faculty and staff, but not to outside audiences

2. Abbreviations and acronyms

• Online users who are new to a topic are likely to be unfamiliar with related acronyms
• Overusing acronyms slows your audience down and increases confusion
• The first time you use an acronym, spell out each word then place the acronym in parentheses immediately after
• Don’t use more than two and, at most, three abbreviations in each document

EXAMPLES 

GT
CATEA
CGIS
CQGRD
DBL
GTCMTGIFT
STEP
CEISMC
COACh
GEM

3. “Click Here”

• Tell your audience where they are going when they click a link
  • Within a sentence, hyperlink a keyword or phrase that matches the content to where the link leads
  • Don’t use the actual URL in your copy unless it is short (e.g., www.gatech.edu)
• Most stories should contain at least one link to additional information
  • No webpage should be a dead end. Push readers toward other relevant content
• Too many links in the webpage copy can look cluttered and hard to read
  • A better idea: Provide a list of links at the bottom of the article, or in a sidebar where they will be available but not distracting

EXAMPLES 

Avoid: For the list of winners, click here.

Better: View the complete list of 2014 InVenture Prize winners
 

Avoid:  www.standardandpoors.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobheadername3=MD-Type&blobcol=urldocumentfile&blobtable=SPC omSecureDocument&blo bheadervalue2=inline;+file name%3Ddownload.pdf& blobheadername2=Conte nt-Disposition&blobheade rvalue1=application/pdf&b lobkey=id&blobheaderna me1=contentype&blobwh ere=1245286034462&blo headervalue3=abinary;+c harset%3DUTF-8&blobn ocache=true

Better: U.S. Home Prices Keep Weakening

4. PDFs

• Not all web users have the software needed to open a PDF file
• PDFs are hard to read online.  They should be reserved for documents intended to be printed
• Whenever possible, transfer the information from a PDF to a webpage.  This makes the content readable to search engines, too
• When linking to a PDF, indicate this fact and list the file size in the hyperlink next to the title, e.g., Download the Graduate Student Handbook (317kb PDF)

The vast majority of web users don't read webpages word-for-word. Instead, they scan them, looking for the information they came to your website to find.  

Use these formatting techniques to create scannable, easy-to-read pages.

Techniques

1. Use Headings and Subheadings on content-heavy pages

• Headings that identify sections of your page should be marked with actual heading tags (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6) so that screen readers and other accessibility tools can identify your headings and then allow the user to easily skip ahead to a specific heading.
• All words are capitalized except articles, prepositions (and, a, the, of) and coordinating conjunctions, unless they are the first or last word.

2. Write meaningful titles and subheads

• A strong title is vital for a web story. If it doesn’t grab your readers’ attention, they’ll leave.
  • Use a max of eight words.
  • Include important keywords.
  • Use strong verbs.
  • Avoid using adjectives and prepositions.
• Subheads break up the page into easily digestible chunks.
  • Aim for informative, not clever.
  • Questions are often the most helpful subheadings.

3. Break up content with bulleted lists

• Lists make it easy for readers to quickly identify all the items or steps in a process.
• Seven list items max.

4. Split up long sentences 

• Average length is 20 words or less.
• No single sentence should be longer than 28 words (and that’s a stretch).

5. Keep paragraphs short

• One idea per paragraph.
• Only one or two sentences.
• Fifty words max.
• Very often, paragraphs on a webpage are only one sentence long. This is OK.
• Break up long paragraphs with subheads.

6. Limit the number of words on each webpage

• Use half of the words (or less) than writing for print.
• Rather than placing all of the information on a single webpage:
  • Break your information into chunks.
  • Put each chunk on its own page.
  • Connect the pages using links.

7. Use lots of white space

• Faced with large chunks of text, most web users will leave the page immediately.

These websites and experts are well regarded in the world of web content.  Feel free to browse these external sites for more information about creating content for the web.

General Usability

• Usability.gov

Reading on the Web

• Jakob Nielsen
  How Users Read on the Web

Writing Web Copy

• Hemingway Editor
  Hemingway is a simple-to-use tool that helps streamline and simplify your writing.
• A List Apart
  ​Topic: Writing
• Nielsen Norman Group
  Writing for the Web Research Reports

• Plain Language Action and Information Network
  Plainlanguage.gov

Formatting Copy on the Web

• Screaming Frog
  Title Tag Best Practices
• The Onion (Satire)
  Nation Shudders at Large Block of Uninterrupted Text

Images on the Web

• Design Instruct
  Usability Mistakes to Avoid When Using Photos in Your Website
• Enviragallery
  15 Best Free Image Optimizers for Image Compression