The primary purpose of your Web site should be to help drive your business and make it easy for your customers to interact with you. Otherwise, why go through all the effort?

The most effective way to reach your customers online is through text-based content . Your online copy should represent your business, set it apart, call your customers to action and keep them coming back for more. Okay, that's all easier said than done.

The first eNewsletter in the "Pursuit of Quality Online Content" series ("Are You Paying Enough Attention to Your Content?") gave an overview of the importance of delivering valuable Web site content to your online customers. In this issue, we'll delve into the need to fine tune that content with recommended online copywriting methods and review some usability guidelines related to content presentation.

Become One with Your Audience
Your customers typically have a specific intent or purpose when visiting your site. Hopefully, you are keenly aware of what that might be—research products, seek service, browse news, analyze investment data, shop, and the list goes on. If you really don't know, then you need to start asking. You can begin by encouraging feedback about your site, posting a discussion board, reviewing comments or emails already sent to the Webmaster of your site, sending email satisfaction surveys, and analyzing the site statistics to see what content is being viewed.

Get to know your customers. Listen to them and understand why they are coming to your site. The focus of your business has not changed… it's always been and always will be about the customer.

A New Behavior
No, we're not talking about psychology per se. But there is ample research that indicates users have a unique approach (to?) and method of interacting with the online medium.

Since the late 1990s, Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen has been sharing his research-based knowledge of how users read on the Web. He states that users "rarely read Web pages word by word; instead they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences.¹" The findings of The Stanford-Poynter Eye Tracking Study that began in 1998 and analyzed how users interacted with news sites supports the scanning method and also reveals that users will read in greater detail once they have found what they were looking for.²

Knowing where users typically look for information on a Web page can help you deliver valuable content and have confidence that it will be found. It also advocates for consistency and predictability in your presentation and layout.

User Interface Engineering (UIE), a leading research, training, and consulting firm specializing in Web site and product usability, did their own eye tracking study in 1998 and found that "users typically looked first in the center area, then in the left panel, then in the right column.³" They found this pattern to exist in new and experienced users.

Why all the scanning? For one, it helps users assess all of the information presented in each region before honing in on a specific piece. It's also a direct result of how we interact with the medium. Internet technology facilitates speed and creates convenience. Online users have high expectations for quick results and therefore are notoriously impatient when engaging with online content.

The long-standing and well known Three-Click Rule of Web design advocates that users become frustrated and tend to give up after three clicks if they have not succeeded in finding their desired information. In a more recent user behavioral study, UIE found that users continue to click through Web pages so long as they locate target or trigger words that they are confident will lead them to the information they are seeking.⁴ That slaps the Three-Click Rule right in the face. Josh Porter of UIE sums it up this way: "The number of clicks isn't what is important to users, but whether or not they're successful at finding what they're seeking.⁵"

Keep it Visually Consistent
Visual fixation studies, like the online behavior of center-left-right, are not new. Newspapers have long understood how their readers peruse their pages and have developed a specific paper size and column structure that best fit the reader's behavior. We've all come to expect common features such as attention grabbing headlines and, more often than not, a large cover story picture. Where newspapers differentiate themselves is through their content. The same should be true for your Web site.

Some common online design standards have emerged that create consistency and predictability within the medium and allow more focus to be placed on the content.

• Logos should be placed at the top left corner of the page and should be the first graphical element to load. Visitors will immediately identify with the logo and it will serve as a visual confirmation they are at the right place.
• Global navigation and search should appear along the top of the page throughout the site, offering consistency and availability to the broad content base.
• Key content areas should be placed at the center of the page where users will start their scanning and eventually return to dig deeper.
• The left panel should be considered an anchored reference area that remains consistent and dependable throughout the site or within major sections.
• The right column receives peripheral attention even when users are engaged with content elsewhere on the page and is therefore a great place for supporting details, assurances and any other related material.

Too often, more emphasis is placed on graphical layout rather than the content within it. While it is important to have a visually appealing site, the graphical elements will not get the same visual priority from users that text will. The following quote says it nicely:

"Don't think of it as limiting your artistic freedom, think of it as knowledge you can use to meet your customers' needs and thereby increase your conversion rate!⁶"

Keep it Personal
The Internet naturally fosters personal communication. Email, instant messaging, discussion groups and review postings have changed the overall tone that people have come to expect when they are online. Unfortunately, online content is typically formal, cold and wordy. Consider that your customers are interacting with your business through your Web site right from their workplace or the comfort of their own home. It'd be tough to get much closer.

Let the human element shine through your writing. Don't be afraid to use "you" instead of the formal "our customers," even on your corporate site. An informal tone does not equate less meaning or purpose. Allow your customer to have a relationship with you while providing them with relevant information.

Keep it Simple
Get out your red pen. We're looking to trim the fat and break it down. Authors Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton said it best in their book, Content Critical:

"Write simply. Write directly. Write concisely. Remember, your reader's in a hurry. Get to the point.⁷"

When striving for simplicity, the following methods come highly recommended:

• Break up long paragraphs into smaller "chunks" that are easier to digest and navigate. A good rule is one idea per paragraph.
• Use bullet lists to break up lengthy text by reducing it to key points.
• Avoid prepositional phrases that often serve as added descriptors (e.g. where and when) and add complexity and length.
• Avoid the passive voice which can be awkward to read and seem formal and uninteresting.
• Use simple, meaningful and clear headings and subheadings.
• Highlight keywords using bold typeface or as hyperlinks where appropriate. Avoid using underlining words for emphasis as the text can be confused as a hyperlink.

By striving for short, concise ideas delivered in a straightforward manner, you are making it easier for your customers to scan your content, get to the heart of your message and hopefully find what they are looking for. Make sure to keep the information relevant and if brevity is not possible, focus on simplicity.

For more in depth coverage and some before-and-after comparison examples, check out the books featured in the Recommended Reading section below.

Keep it Honest
Don't mislead your customers or offer promises you can't keep. In particular, your customer service content should plainly state what a customer can expect and then make sure you can deliver on those expectations. Keep in mind that your competition is only a click or two away and that it only takes one bad experience to lose a customer's loyalty. Strive to gain and then keep your customer's trust by being aware of what your service content states, standing behind it and making any resulting customer needs a priority.

Keep it Fresh
There's no bigger turn-off than out of date content, particularly on a home page. It leads to mistrust and is associated with inattentiveness. Review your content, if not all then at least the critical portions, on a regular schedule. Prove to your customers that they should keep coming back to your site.

Don't Be Cute
We know it's tempting. You've got a new program name, slogan, or tag line that no one has brought into the marketplace before. It's creative. Maybe even edgy. Your ad agency is thrilled. Problem is, your online customers may find it confusing and will fail to see its charm. Avoid internal business terminology, colloquialisms and jargon. Stick to a straightforward and meaningful approach. The same can be said for spinning the names of common navigation terms. More on that next.

Take out the Guess Work
Users have two basic options when looking for specific content on a site. They can either use the presented navigation elements or, if available, search. Take a proactive approach and ensure both are effective at helping your customers locate their target content.

• Keep in mind that navigation terms are meant for the visitor, not your organization or its structure. Avoid confusion by maintaining common and accepted navigation terms like Home, About Us, Contact Us, Customer Service or Customer Support, Help, Search, and Privacy Policy.
• Avoid jargon and internal business terms that are not inherently meaningful to your customer.
• Consider using placement indicators that tell users where they are, where they've been and options for where they could go next.
• Weave key words into the copy to capture both the user's attention and the various search engines (external and internal) as they scan and index your pages. (For more information on search engine optimization, see our October 2003 eNewsletter "Is Your Site Search Engine Friendly?")

What about valuable content that your customers aren't aware of or actively seeking? A strong navigation structure can help. A study done by UIE determined, "that users are three times more likely to find this surprise content if they use the category links off of the home page instead of going straight to the search engine⁸" (emphasis added).

Conclusion
That's a lot of information to absorb and process. It's important to remember that your content carries the tone of your business to your online customers. If you work at providing quality and relevant information in a manner that customers can find, you'll not only increase their satisfaction but you'll no doubt improve your relationship with them and keep them coming back for more.

Bottom line… don't let the technology of the Internet become bigger than your message or your customer. Without informative content and a relevant context, the technology won't do anyone much good.

Article References

1. "How Users Read on the Web." Jakob Nielsen. Alertbox. October 1, 1997.
2. Stanford-Poynter Eye Tracking Study.
3. "Testing Web Sites with Eye-Tracking." UIE Article. Will Schroeder. September 1998.
4. "Getting Confidence from Lincoln." UIE Article. Jared Spool.
5. "Testing the Three-Click Rule." UIE Article. Josh Porter.
6. "The Eyes Have It!" GROK Dot Com Article. September 1, 2001.
7. Content Critical: Gaining Competitive Advantage through High-Quality Web Content. Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton. 2002. p. 55.
8. "Users Continue After Category Links." UIE Article. Jared Spool.

If you have any comments or questions about any Aware InSites, feel free to contact us at info@awarewebsolutions.com or call 800-783-8919.