Debate about Web content vs. Web presentation is constant and lively. However, viewers come to our pages for information, and if they don’t get what they need, flash and glitz won’t bring them back. The best websites pack essential information into well-organized and well-written text.
Webpages should not, however, be too heavily texted. Surveys show that Web users won’t read long paragraphs of information. They prefer concise, bite-sized sections, clearly delineated so they can scan for information they need. To visually organize information and make it meaningful for the viewer, here are two suggestions.
- First, write essential content as clearly and concisely as possible. Then, cut it in half. Use action verbs, and avoid double negatives. Information pages should give information, not promote flowery writing skills. The ability to write well is a gift, but consider taking an online business writing course to increase your capabilities (the HTML Writer’s Guild offers a very affordable one).
m - Second, group content into compact, topical, easy-to-see sections, with brief topic headers. Use bullets (or small icons) to focus the eye on specific points. Don’t use overpowering images like animated bars. Page content should display what, where, when, why, who and how, yet scroll no more than three or four screens on a full-sized monitor. Left-alignment is best for displaying blocks of text, and a margin keeps the page readable.
Organize information for the type of patron coming to the site. If planning has clearly identified user-groups and their viewing purposes, if navigation has been designed to reflect that, then content flows easily into those parameters. Here are two suggestions:
- A question-answer format is very user-friendly. Frequently Asked Questions pages—FAQs—are appreciated by Web users. Ask about the most common questions in phone calls, and add a FAQs page to better serve your school community. Use wording that invites interaction.
m - Today’s students are mobile and transient; parents don’t always know what a school needs to register or withdraw a child. A student transfer/registration page (or a link to the district’s registration page) is very useful for school websites. Such information is available even when the school office is closed, and it can be printed for gathering required documents. Required supplies pages are also helpful; teachers with special supply requirements can post a supplies page with suggestions about where to obtain them.
Webauthoring programs can’t organize and present the content that makes the site successful. Only skillful writing can do that. Whatever time is spent on page layout, graphics and design, spend twice as much time on content in order to have an outstanding Website. Remember, CONTENT IS KING!
Regarding Fonts
A browser only displays in fonts installed on the user’s computer, so use standard fonts, such as Arial or Verdana sans-serif fonts, Times New Roman serif font (serifs are those little lines at the top and bottom of letters), or Comic Sans for cursive or fantasy. Text must be easy to read at all font settings; serifs don’t display well on computer screens, so use sans-serif fonts for small text. Size, shape and color of text areas can establish a theme, and highlight or contrast with images. Text in bright crayon-box colors suggests children, while dark, greyed colors suggest maturity and stability. (Remember that a light font on a dark background may not print.)