I’ve previously written about how most people coming to your website look at a page for less than 10 seconds and then never return. That’s right – a majority of people!
Initially that statistic sounds unlikely but when you think of your own web browsing habits, it makes sense. For example, if you’re searching for information on a topic, your first stop is likely to be Google. Your search spits up several million(!) results and you start clicking on links. If the link doesn’t provide you with what you want, you click backwards – you seldom bother exploring the rest of the site.
And even when you do stay within the site, your glance at each page to see if it is relevant is short – often very short indeed!
So how do you grab people’s attention, stopping them at your page and so having a much better chance of communicating your content?
Here are four key tips.
1. Use Pictures
For many people who are well versed in writing, the idea of using pictures seems abhorrent. But pictures provide instant emotional reaction in the reader. That is, well before a viewer has a chance to analyse the content on a conscious level, they’re making decisions. Pictures help make those decisions positive. Always use at least one picture, high on the web page. That pic could be included to:
- Convey warmth (this page is friendly)
- Provide context (this page is relevant to you)
- Help explain content (oh yes, now I understand what this topic is about)
- Break up text blocks (now there doesn’t look like there’s so much to read)
Every published web page should have at least one visual.
2. Have Clear Alternatives
Most people who come to your web page have not come via the home page. (Again, think of your own web browsing habits to see how true this is.) It’s a bit like opening a novel in the middle and then trying to make sense of the storyline – in the case of the web, this is how most readers try to absorb your content!
So it’s vital that readers are provided with context.
The best context is to show readers paths to alternative, allied material. To put this another way, site navigation is vital on every page – not just the home page.
But you can do better than just ensure that navigation is good. You can also think like the reader, asking yourself what other information they might require. Do they need a more complex version of the information you’ve presented? Or a simpler version? Use links to provide these options.
Which leads us to….
3. Present Information at Different Levels
Complex material should always be presented at a variety of levels.
Think of a major report – it has a main body and executive summary. How many people don’t bother with the main report and read just the exec summary – nearly everyone, right? If you take that idea further, and keep in mind that people want the information in less than 10 seconds, you can see that a simplified version of the exec summary will be even better read – and a dot-point summary of that summary read by even more people!
This does not mean that you dumb everything down, but it does mean that you should aim to present material at different levels of complexity, allowing the reader to quickly and easily navigate from one level to the other.
4. Use a Hook Strategy
So the web page has a picture on it – it looks warm and friendly. The navigation and links provide good context and the reader can easily pick the level of complexity that suits them. Now what?
The next step is to enthral people as soon as they start reading. Don’t start off the text with a boring background passage, or an overly formal discourse on what the page of information will show you. Get straight into the good stuff! People are reading the webpage to gain information – and they want it now!
Much traditional writing is about leisurely setting the scene, gradually drawing people in and progressively building a picture. On the web, that approach usually does not work. (The exception is when you have a large, longstanding and loyal audience – then you can occasionally take that approach.)
Always review your web page, saying to yourself: what is my hook?
Conclusion
These four straightforward techniques will massively increase the uptake of information from your web pages – whether they’re on internal or external websites.
A one-day course by Julian in Writing for the Web is available through Acorn Training and Consulting.
Filed under: Articles on preparing web content
