Think About It

• Use bullet points and subheadings to make the page easier to scan.
• Be sensitive to the fatigue factor. It’s just plain harder to read off of a monitor than from a printed page. Use short sentences and short paragraphs that are less taxing to the eye and less demanding on the attention span.
• Repeat critical information on multiple pages. The Web is non-linear – visitors may enter on any page. They won’t necessarily view pages in any particular order. And they may not see every page on your site. So if it’s really important, say it in more than one place.
• Loosen up. Even if your communication style is usually very formal, the Web is a casual medium. It offers you a one-to-one connection with the visitor. If your copy is stiff, it can make that connection feel uncomfortable and distant, draining the value of the Web’s interactive nature.
• Cut back copy length. This one merits some caveats. We’ve seen some experts suggest that Web copy should be only half as long as its printed counterpart. But informal study has shown that if you follow the ground rules outlined above, you can be just as effective with full-length copy. And of course, the opposite is also true – if you simply chop your word count in half without taking other measures to make the copy appropriate for the Web, it won’t get good results.

Perhaps the most important rule for the Web isn’t unique to the medium at all: Give people what they want. Of course, this requires you to know what they want.

Why do visitors come to your Web site? What areas of the site do they use most? Are they looking for quick answers or in-depth details? Is your content aligned with their needs?

Don’t know the answers to these questions? Call POV and ask about a Web audit.