Ch. 15- Writing Web Content

*Content is the most important part of a web site.
*If the content does not provide the information needed by users, the website will provide little value no matter how easy it is to use the site.

15.1- Make Action Sequences Clear
*When describing an action or task that has a natural order or sequence, structure the content so that the sequence is obvious and consistent.

15.2- Avoid Jargon
*To improve understanding among users who are accustomed to using the jargon term, if may be helpful to put that term in parenthesis.

15.3- Use Familiar Words
*USe words that are familiar to and used frequently by typical users. Words that are more frequently seen and heard are better an dmore quickly recognized.

15.4- Define Acronyms and Abbreviations
*Acronyms and abbreviations should be used sparingly and must be defined in order to be understood by all users.
*Write the word first then in parentheses the acronym, so; Physician Data Query (PDQ).
* Usually, the acronyms and abbreviations are defined on first mention, but users may miss it scrolling.

15.5- Use Abbreviations Sparingly
*The only times to use abbreviations are when they are significantly shorter, save needed space, and will be readily understood by typical users.

15.6- Use Mixed Case w/Prose
*If an item is intended to attract the user's attention, display the item in all uppercase, bold, or italics.
*Do not use these methods for showing emphasis for more than one or two words or a short phrase because they slow reading performance when used for extended prose.

15.7- Limit the Number of Words and Sentences
*To enhance the readability of prose text, a sentence should not contain more than twenty words. A paragraph should not contain more than six sentences.

15.8- Limit Prose Text on Navigation Pages
*When there are many words on navigation pages, users tend to rapidly scan for specific words or begin clicking on many different links, rather than reading the text associated with the links.

15.9- Use Active Voice
* Users benefit from simple, direct language.
*Strong verbs help the user know who is acting and what is being acted upon.

15.10-Write Instructions in the Affirmative
*As a general rule, write instructions in affirmative statements rather than negative statements.
*When giving insturctions, strive to tell users what to do rather than what to avoid doing.
*If the likelihood of making a wrong step is high or the consequences are dire, negative voice may be clearer to the user.

15.11- Make First Sentences Descriptive
*Include the primary theme of a paragraph, and the scope of what it covers, in the first sentence of each paragraph.
*Users tend to skim the first one or two sentences of each paragraph when scanning text.