Have you ever tried to read a novel while doing a crossword puzzle and listening to the news? Do you find it as an absurd combination? This is exactly what the Internet environment is like. If your task is to write a good text on the web, then keep in mind that keeping reader's attention will not be easy.
Nicholas Carr in his new book "The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains" describes the results of research into how we perceive the content on the Internet. Its most interesting findings are:
- The more links in the article, the lower the comprehension. People are shifting attention to the links and consider whether to click on them or not.
- People who read a CNN news story get more information if the headline didn't scroll at the bottom of the screen.
- People click to get information, but they do not read. On the contrary, in reading printed information they read to the end in order to find answers. On the Internet, they look by clicking.
Do you have content which overwhelms the reader or distracts them? Are the paragraphs long and complex? Can they always find information quickly? How do you engage people who do not focus and just click? All these questions must be answered. You can use the following advice for it:
- On the Web, less is more. Remove anything that disturbs attention, ie. scrolling text, flash, etc.
- Make it easier to scan your copy by using subheadings and bullets.
- Good navigation enables shorter content on each page.
- Describe links well. "Read more" tells nothing about what people read after they click.
- The site's content is easier to read if it is written less formally.
- Already in the first words, go straight to the point. Save the reader from long introductory paragraphs.
- Reduce long adjectives, too formalities and excess jargon.
- To convey more complex or more information, consider using video.
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