Online store owners take note: writing for the web is different than writing for print. Let’s review that again: writing for the web is different than writing for print. In order to determine how to best write for the web one must first understand how users read on the web. Recent studies conducted by web usability gurus John Morkes and Jakob Nielsen revealed that 79 percent of web users merely scan web pages for content, instead of reading them word-for-word. So what does this mean for web page authors? For starters, it means less is more.
Be concise and precise
Ecommerce site owners in particular must take special care that key selling points of products are not lost in long-winded and wordy web pages. In the Nielson-Morkes studies, an examination of five different writing styles found that a website scored:
58 percent higher in usability tests when it was written concisely
47 percent higher when text was able to be quickly scanned by users
27 percent higher when it was written in an objective instead of a promotional style
Combining these three changes into a single site that was concise, easily scanned, and objective resulted in a whopping 124 percent higher measured usability. To increase your chances of having your web content actually read by visitors to your site, make sure that text is:
Short and to the point, with one main idea per bullet or paragraph
50 percent of the word count of its paper equivalent (Tip: You can provide external links to printable PDF files for more detailed information.)
Free from typos, grammatical mistakes, and spelling errors so as not to lose credibility with the reader
A wise person once said, “A picture conveys a thousand words.” Web authors will also do well to keep this in mind as they construct web content. Images, diagrams, and even multimedia can be more effective than text in many cases.
Know your audience
While the importance of brevity online cannot be overstated, you must also take into account the knowledge level of your target audience. For example, when writing for a highly technical audience, care should be taken so as to not insult the intelligence of your readers. When writing for the technology savvy, it would most likely be acceptable to include industry terminology, acronyms, or technical details in your content. By the same token, if you are selling a highly technical product to a non-technical audience, special care must be taken to avoid technical jargon, define acronyms, and offer additional explanation where needed. How do you know the level of detail that your customers expect? Ask them.
Write action-oriented content
Unlike print, TV, or radio, the web is by nature an interactive medium. Web surfers will move on very quickly if their interest isn't grabbed and held. If you want users to take a particular action, don’t encourage them to move on by beating around the bush. Use action oriented words like “Order Now” or “Contact Us.” If you can engage surfers with interactive website features—such as Flash animation technology, live help, or interactive chat—even better. Remember, your nearest competitor’s website (the one with all the cool bells and whistles) is just a click away!
Don’t oversell
While ecommerce merchants need to emphasize the key selling points of product offerings, “marketing-ease” and “sales-y” language is best saved for printed materials and brochures (if it is used at all). Web studies have shown that writing presented in an objective and factual style will convert web browsers into buyers more readily than flowery, over-hyped content. While you certainly may be able to say your widget is “one-of-a-kind” or “user friendly,” advertising your products as “miraculous,” mind-blowing,” or “amazing” could really turn some readers off.
Highlight key points
Knowing that web readers will skim your pages quickly should dictate both the style of your writing and the overall presentation of your pages. Multiple paragraphs of text appearing one after the other on a screen are a turn off. Similarly, forcing users to scroll through long pages of text is also a no-no. Shorten your text as much as possible, and don’t be afraid to use blank space, which will make pages less information dense. Typographical style and formatting conventions can be used to call attention to key points. Usability experts recommend that you:
Keep web pages short.
Create effective boldface headlines to separate paragraphs of text.
Highlight important words in sentences using bold, color, and similar methods.
Use bulleted points to explain key product features.
