Usability for the Web: Designing Web Sites That Work
A simple, time-efficient way to design, develop and improve your web sites.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Usability for the Web: Designing Web Sites That Work
Part V: Production
Chapter List
- Chapter 8: Writing for the Web
- Chapter 9: Design Elements
- Chapter 10: Usability in Software Development
WRITING TO COMMUNICATE
Text conveys the content of a web site and helps to reinforce the brand through its tone and style. Given the importance of text in carrying the message of the site, how can text be written to communicate effectively? What makes words usable?
The text of a web site should be constructed around three primary goals: draw the reader in, help the reader orient, and convey information. To do this, you need to make your content interesting, enticing, and easy to read. Offer the reader a pleasant reading experience. Help readers decide where they are and where to go next. Help them determine if what they're seeing is relevant, and lead them to places that are relevant to them. Don't waste words. Give readers useful information at the earliest opportunity.
Tasks and Goals
Text needs to be written to support the user's tasks and goals and to suit the intended audience. For the writer, the audience and goals are known from the results of a requirements analysis, and the tasks are defined from a task analysis. The text can then be written around these tasks and goals. For instance, write headlines that match possible goals. If a person may be looking for the price of a product, then write a headline that says, "How much does this cost?"
Write to help people navigate the web site. Help guide the...
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