Thus,
when creating online content, a few rules must be observed. The following
techniques have been found beneficial:
- Make articles concise and easy to understand
Studies
show that reading something via a computer or any similar device tends to put
more strain on the eyes, thus web users read a quarter slower than if they were
to read a newspaper or magazine. The clearer and simpler your piece is, the
better your readers can absorb information.
Whenever
possible, avoid complicated structure and jargons. Unless they are widely used
and recognized, spell out acronyms. Use short and active terms.
- Focus on one idea per paragraph
Limit
paragraphs to a single idea whenever possible. This ensures that readers can
easily skim through the lines and get the point you’re driving at. Otherwise,
they’d move on to another paragraph and risk missing vital information.
- Consider front-loading articles
By
this we mean placing the conclusion at the beginning of the article followed by
the basic details (what, when, where, how). Oftentimes we follow the good old
beginning-middle-end format, and while this is a standard, doing the former
allows your readers to have a good grasp of what the entire article is about
and can decide right away if they would read the rest of the page.
- Utilize informative sub-headings
Creating
sub-headings lets your visitors understand the details of each paragraph before
even reading it. The sub-headings should be descriptive enough to serve as a
pre-concluding statement of what a certain paragraph offers.
- Use italics or bold text to emphasize importance
Bold
or italicized words indicate importance. Through them, readers can find vital
details more quickly.
- Create lists
Lists
and bullet-points are better than long paragraphs. They are easier on the eyes
in that they present information in a vertical, succinct manner, and look less
intimidating.
- Make paragraphs left justified
This
is standard format and the reason is quite obvious: it’s easier to scan through
than the center or right aligned text – both of which result to slower and more
difficult reading.
These
are fairly easy guidelines to observe, but website owners tend to overlook them,
at the expense of readers. Assess your site or blog and see if you are missing anything out. You might just save one
reader heaps of time and gain another.
