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Guide to Organizing and Writing Content for the Web Visitors to a website are looking for a quick, easy way to find information and, most importantly, in a way that isn’t frustrating. You have at most about three seconds to capture a visitor to your web page. Good organization and presentation of content will keep a user on your site and maintain a favorable opinion of you. Information that is poorly or haphazardly organized and presented in a way that is not easily digestible is almost immediately apparent to the user. In this case, the user will become very annoyed and likely to leave your site quickly to find the information they seek another way. Visiting a website is a very different experience. Reading a website is quite different from how we have traditionally read a brochure, newspaper, or book. While traditional media is slowly starting to imitate the reading experience of the web, the same rules of presenting information and how people consume it are not the same. Captivate people and keep them interested. Your website is an extension of you, and you certainly want to maintain the confidence of those coming to your site. There are several steps you can take to keep users on your site and make sure they have a pleasant experience.

1. Think of your website from the user’s perspective.

Understand why the user coming to your site. It’s almost always to find an answer to a question. Make sure you have that answer and that the user can find it quickly and easily. Think about what the user wants from your website, not just what you want.

2. Don’t make me think: Organize and present your content in a way that makes sense.

Organize the content in a way that is logical to the user. How your department is structured internally is relevant to you but not to the user. ● Group content by categories and topics that make sense to the

user.

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● If it makes sense, consider organizing and presenting your content by questions that your users may ask, such as “How do I find my class list?” or “What is your return policy?”

Make your content scannable. Users want to quickly and easily find the information they seek. ● Use headlines and subheads, and make sure they are descriptive.

The user should be able to get a full sense of the content on the page by just reading the heads and subheads alone.

● Put the most important information first. ● Break apart multiple items within a paragraph by using bulleted

lists. Use numbered lists if there’s a sequence of steps, tasks, or events.

● Use bold to call attention to something, but don’t over do it. Avoid using italics, which are often hard to read, and underlining, which indicates a link.

Avoid dense copy. ● Break the content up into paragraphs. Each paragraph should

cover only one topic or idea. ● Limit each paragraph to two sentences. Even just one is OK. ● Keep some white space. It eases the strain on the eyes and helps

make sure the content doesn’t overload the mind. Less is more. Make the copy succinct, relevant, and readable. ● Review your existing content and cut it in half. Review it again and

then cut it in half once more. ● Use short, descriptive sentences. Eliminate unnecessary words. ● If the information is not pertinent to your department and to why the

user is coming to your site, remove it. ● Limit the use of large or complex words. Avoid technical terms and

acronyms—they may be familiar to you but probably not to the user.

Avoid starting with a mission statement. This is much more relevant to you than it is to the user. Also, refrain from using a “letter from XXX” approach as well. If you’d like the user to take some sort of action—such as request more information, sign up for a class, or buy a book—make it very apparent that they can, and easy for them to, do so. Use PDFs sparingly or, if possible, not at all. They add another barrier between the user and the information they seek. ● Ask yourself why you’re providing the information as a PDF and not

as regular text on a page. Is it absolutely necessary?

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● PDFs are best reserved for very long documents (like multi-page reports), where users may want to download and print them.

● If you have a PDF form that needs to be completed, convert it to an online form-fields format that doesn’t require the user to download anything, complete it by hand, and then send the paper form back to you.

● If you are unable to convert a PDF form into an online form-fields format, use a writable PDF. This eliminates paper and allows the user to complete the form on their computer, save it, and submit it to you electronically.

● It may be appropriate and quite useful in certain situations to provide the option of downloading a PDF in addition to just reading the content on the screen.

Use visuals and graphics. They:

• Help captivate the user and keep them interested. • Provide an additional way to convey or clarify your message. • Make your content easier for the user to digest, by breaking it up a

bit further and reducing its density. If you have them, include relevant videos. Like visuals and graphics, they can also help captivate the user and add another way to convey or clarify your message. Make sure that the videos aren’t frivolous and placed there simply because you have them.

3. Write copy that draws in and keeps the user interested and reading.

Think of your website as a conversation with the user. Use terms like “you” and “your” to address the user. Use “us,” “our,” and “we” to refer to your division, your department, etc. Make the copy active, particularly the headlines and subheads (e.g., “Discover Opportunities at the University of Southern Maine” instead of “Opportunities at USM”). Use of the subject-verb-object structure is often helpful.

Make the copy gender neutral. When using text links, be specific about where they lead. ● Don’t use “Click here.” It’s very outdated. ● Avoid using just “More” or “Learn more” when offering additional

information that is not immediately presented. Phrases like “Find out if you qualify for a loan” or “Read the full course syllabus” are much more descriptive and helpful.

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Be consistent in all your pages. Use the same, voice, style, and formatting. Make sure you are conforming to the University’s standards / style guide. Carefully review everything before you post it. Proofread for errors in facts, spelling, and grammar.

Contacts Marcus Fairbrother Ann Swardlick mfairbrother@greatergoodworks.com aswardlick@greatergoodworks.com 207-775-4100 x292 207-775-4100 x231 References ● Redish, Janice (Ginny). Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works. Morgan

Kaufmann, 2007. ● The Yahoo Style Guide: The Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing, and Creating Content for the

Digital World. St. Martin's Griffin, 2010.