Frontload headlines to putting the topic up top
When it comes to web heads, focus on the front.
That is, place your topic words at the beginning of your headline.… Read the full article
Microcontent
How to write a top level page for your website
Craft your website’s tables of content
When searching on a drop-down menu, web visitors should either:
- Start at the top and move linearly down to the bottom of the menu (EPIC model)
- Randomly search the menu (ACT-R model)
Or so say classic models of cognitive processing.… Read the full article
Steal tricks from the world’s best online headlines
BBC’s heads are short, clear, front-loaded and context-free
Who writes the world’s best web heads?
The folks at BBC News, according to usability expert Jakob Nielsen.… Read the full article
What’s the average time spent on a web page?
Reach surfers and divers by passing the 30-3-30 test
All readers are not created equal. So how can you give your in-depth “divers” enough information without overwhelming your casual “surfers”?… Read the full article
Pass the dollar-bill test
If it looks easier to read, more people will read it
One technique for making sure even a long story looks easy to read is to use Edmund Arnold’s dollar-bill test.… Read the full article
Do a number on your followers
Want your message to go viral? Use digits
Articles with numerals in their titles tend to be shared more on Facebook than stories without digits, according to research by viral marketing scientist Dan Zarrella. … Read the full article
Don’t drop the deck
It may be the only thing page visitors read
The summary blurb under the headline does the heavy lifting on a webpage. According to the Eyetrack III study of online behavior:
- 95 percent of visitors to a page read all or part of the blurb.