So why does your ‘stuff’ get so complicated? Damn – you forgot to call someone. You didn’t read that email properly and you can’t remember if Sunday comes before or after 4 o’clock.

I’d like to apply this confusion that we face in our day-to-day work and home dealings with all the information available on the web. Not everybody organises the ‘stuff’ (content) on their websites. Of those that do, not all do so in a logical way. If websites aren’t organised how will your user know how to find their way around? You wouldn’t go on holiday without leaving your work affairs in some sort of reasonably-easy-to-follow state.

The same idea applies to the content on your website. You’re out of the office so your website is picking up the initial enquiry. Bear this in mind when you’re designing and adding to your site. Your user should be able to follow links and instructions without getting confused or annoyed.

Remember the golden rules of writing for web:

• Use short words in short sentences (one point per sentence)
• Use plenty of bullet point lists to allow user to scan the page
• Try not to present too much text – break it up with pictures, sub headings and paragraphs
• Users don’t like scrolling so try to keep your content within one screen length
• You don’t have to be too formal, use “it’s”, “won’t” and “can’t” – it makes for more natural reading.

Your user doesn’t know your company or website inside out like you do so don’t assume anything!

This post was originally published by Christine on Mon, 10/27/2008

Throat clearing goes like this: “At a time of desperate global economy worries, many homeowners are facing financial meltdown as they struggle to meet with the increasing cost of living.”

Now read the sentence again starting at “many”. It still says the same thing doesn’t it?

I don’t like waffling on. I don’t want someone’s opinion on whether an interviewee ‘sighed’ or ‘seethed’. They just ‘said’. Stop getting in the way of the story and give it to me straight. I’m a big girl, I can take it.

So here are a couple of rules I’ve picked up along the way which I’d like to share with you:

• People ‘say’ or ‘said’. Nothing else
• ‘Inverted pyramid’ writing applies wholeheartedly to web – give me the who, what, where, why and how, then the quotes, then the background
• Keep to one clause per sentence if possible
• If your sentence sounds/means the same with any words or clauses taken out – take them out!
• Limit your adverbs. Did he menacingly look, or did he look?

This post was originally published by Christine on Tue, 03/18/2008