Website-Content Fuels the Internet

Each website is composed of a minimum of 30 web pages with their website-content, and there is no real limit how many pages a website can have.

As with all technical documentation, web pages require planning and a procedure to create them. Quality content is critical to website. Websites require about 8 steps in all.

Unique to technical documentation a web page should be kept relatively short, not longer than two to three pages long.

The web page should reflect the intended audience's limitations in computer hardware and software. Since you cannot possibly know exactly what those limitations are you should provide a couple of versions of your web page.

Writing website-content is completely different from "normal" writing for printed matter. The Web has its own rules that govern how content is written to be displayed on the computer display screen.

Computer display screens vary in size and resolution, which is governed by the number of pixels or dots.

Despite advances in technology, resolution still has not solved a lingering problem, that of well defined edges of text because this causes eye strain. Text reading from the computer screen is said to be about 25% slower than on printed documents.

Preventing eye strain makes it important to use an easier writing style and certain recommended fonts. Doing this allows website visitors to absorb content quickly.

Today, because of computers and the Web, information is plentiful appearing almost boundless. This information overload has contributed to readers scanning website-content rather than taking time to read it all like they would printed matter.

Clear and simple language is gold on the Internet. A few techniques to use for successful website-content are:

• Use clear simple language tailored to your intended audience. Avoid "ten-dollar" words if a suitable simpler word and perhaps shorter word is available.
• Avoid slang or jargon. Unless your audience is for example the Harlem gangsta crowd, this is taboo.
• Use "active voice" words. The active or positive voice is the preferred choice to get your message across so it is understood. Don't say - "The Web was created by smart people" instead use the shorter and better "Smart people created the Web".
• Use short paragraphs, limited to about 4 lines if possible.Use a lot of "white space" between paragraphs. This allows the reader a bit of breathing space between chunks of information.
• Front load your content. What this means is that the conclusion is read first, followed by rest of the paragraph content. This approach allows for pre-emptive knowing the gist of what you are about to read in the paragraph so you can quickly decide if you want to read it.
• Align your text on the left. Aligning text left makes it easier to scan than either right, justified, or center-aligned text.

  Using any of the other alignments it has been found, slows down reading because the eyes have to do more searching for the next word.

• Break up text using descriptive sub-headings. A descriptive subheading allows website visitors to clue into what information the web page is going to offer them.

  Subheadings are also useful within the web page because they help explain the paragraph.

• Use text bolding and italicsizing. If used correctly, these can help by bring attention to important information or words, as well as tell the reader the start of paragraphs.
• Use bullet lists. This allows readers to read information more quickly, scanning the information downwind rather than across.

Website-content should avoid or minimize the use of Flash, Java, javascript, and active X if at all possible because these are computer memory hogs.

In order to help the readers who visit your website, you can also make it easier and a more pleasant experience by:

• Include information on how the reader can contact you by e-mail, telephone, fax, etc.
• Create an informative header and footer.

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