Prioritizing Web Usability Nielsen and Loranger Chapter 8

Prioritizing Web Usability Nielsen and Loranger Chapter 8: Writing For The Web Paul Ammann http: //cs. gmu. edu/~pammann/ SWE 432 Design and Implementation of Software for the Web

Overview • • How Poor Writing Makes Web Sites Fail Understanding How Web Users Read Writing For Your Reader Formatting Text for Readability Writing Skills Really Are Important 1/30/2022 2

How Poor Writing Makes Web Sites Fail • Disorganized, Poorly Written Content Makes Users Unable To Complete Basic Web Tasks • Users Tend To Trust Sites They Understand – Hence, They Come Back! • Eye Studies Show That For Online News – Headlines And Text Are Noticed Before Images • Example: Heart Association Stress Test Description – Good Description For Intended Audience – But Try Clicking on “Stress Test”! – Politics Can Interfere With Good Writing: Stem Cell Research • Is Intent Educational or Political? • What About Words Like “Pluripotent”? Write Specifically For Your User’s Task 1/30/2022 3

Understanding How Web Users Read • Information Seeking Strategies Save Users Time – Users Look For Cues That Answer Is Nearby – Users Ignore Most Everything Else – Users Punish Web Sites That Frustrate Strategies • Why Users Scan – Efficient Method To Identify Valuable Content – Users Parse Many Sources Of Potential Information • Tip: Hire A Web Writer – Anyone Can Write, But Only Some Write Well • Check Grammar And Tighten Content – Would You Do Your Own Plumbing or Wiring? Reading The Web Is Not Like Reading A Book 1/30/2022 4

Writing For Your Reader • To Succeed, You Must Know Your Audience’s – Interests, Culture, Needs, and Limitations • Tip: Know Your Audience – – IT Professionals? Teenagers? Parents? Niche Group? • Three Guidelines for Better Web Writing – Skip The Jargon: San-Diego-Vision (2002) • What is “Practice Information”? – Avoid Acronyms – Bar Sarcasm, and Cliches Every Audience Is Different 1/30/2022 5

Writing For Your Reader(2) • Use Simple Language – Example: “Causes Cancer” vs. “Carcinogenic” – Simpler Words, Fewer Syllables, Shorter Sentences • Meeting Low Literacy Needs – Many People Have Low (Below 8 th Grade) Literacy • Even In Industrialized Countries! – Sweden (2003): 28% At Low Literacy – US (2003): 46% At Low Literacy – Most Users Prefer Clear Simple Language • Low Literacy Users Need Clear Simple Language – Guidelines For General Sites • 6 th Grade Level For Home Pages • 8 th Grade Level For Interior Pages Concrete Advice, But Takes Effort To Follow 1/30/2022 6

Writing For Your Reader(3) • Tone Down Marketing Hype – Example: Accenture • Tip: When and Where to Toot Your Horn – Reference Third Parties (eg. JD Power or Nobel Committee) – Collect Accolades in “About Us” Sections • Summarize Key Points and Pare Down – Start With Conclusion, Then Provide Support • “Inverted Pyramid” Structure – Don’t Bread Document With “Continue Reading” Link • Instead, Identify Content On Linked Page • Interesting Example: NIH Stroke Rehabilitation – What is the Reading Level? Giving The Reader What They Need 1/30/2022 7

Writing For Your Reader(4) • Writing Samples: Before and After – Consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages within and among the basic food groups while choosing foods that limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol. – Eat a variety of foods from each of the basic food groups. Limit saturated and trans fats, added sugars, salt, and alcohol in your diet. • Keeping It Short and Sweet – Pretty Good Example: US Customs and Border Patrol • Consider Complex Regulations • What About Rotating Menu? • Fonts and PDFs If The Feds Can Do It, So Can You! 1/30/2022 8

Formatting Text For Readability • Making Usability Skyrocket – 1988 Study By Nielsen – Two Versions Of B 2 B White Paper: Original vs. Web-Ready • • Task Completion Rate Improved 80% Fewer Errors Recall of Twice As Many Facts 37% Higher Subjective Satisfaction – Think About This The Next Time You Want To Post A PDF • Highlight Keywords – As Opposed To Entire Sentences or Long Phrases Transforming Information to Web-Information 1/30/2022 9

Formatting Text For Readability(2) • Use Concise and Descriptive Titles and Headings – Don’t Make Users Scan Through Noise • Three Guidelines for Heading Hierarchy – Main Headings Should Appear Larger and Bolder – Sub Headings Should Be Smaller, But Still Stand Out – Left-Justify Headings • Use Bulleted and Numbered Lists – Much Easier To Scan Than In. Line Lists – 47% Speed Improvement • Keep Paragraphs Short Formatting Clues Speed Scans 1/30/2022 10

Formatting Text For Readability(3) • Top Seven Guidelines for Presenting Lists – Use Vertical Lists (Especially With 4 or More Items) – Introduce List With Clear Descriptive Phrase – Indent Vertical Lists and Begin Run In Under Text, Not Under Bullet – Don’t Leave Too Much Space Between Bullet and Text – When Possible, Omit Articles and Repetitive Words From The Beginning Of List Items – Use Parallel Phrasing For Each Item – Don’t Overuse Lists There Is Lots Of Technical Support For This 1/30/2022 11

Formatting Text For Readability(4) • Parallel Phrasing Is Important – Non Parallel • Find Out What’s New • How Other People In Their Age Group Are Doing • Contests – Parallel • Find Out What’s New • See What Other People In Their Age Group Are Doing • Enter Contests There Is Not Technical Support For This 1/30/2022 12