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
Microcontent
Display copy: Why is it important?
Because ‘readers’ don’t read
I’m often amazed at the amount of energy writers put into perfecting the sentence structure in the fourth paragraph of their piece when those same folks toss off a headline in the 17 seconds before happy hour on a Friday afternoon.… Read the full article
Key links writing: Don’t overlink
Don’t overwhelm readers with options
In one study — on a web page with, granted, a ton of links — visitors looked at 71% of links in the first paragraph, but none of the links in paragraphs 13 through 24.… Read the full article
How to write killer headlines for web content
Google never laughs; so must web heads be dull?
There’s a lot of sniveling and squawking going on in the web writing community these days. Consider the headlines:
- “This Boring Headline Is Written for Google,” grumble journalists.
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
The weakest link
You’re not still writing ‘click here’ and ‘read more,’ are you?
When it comes to link writing, “click here” is so 1996. We’re talking 14.4k modems, a CompuServe account and the Spice Girls singing “Wannabe” on your portable electronic device, aka a Sony Discman.… Read the full article