7 seconds

16 January 2009
It's not a second Seven seconds away Just as long as I stay I'll be waiting (by Youssou N'dour) Well, your reader wont be waiting. You have approx. only 7 seconds to grab attention of your website user. Don't waste it.

You can get away with quite a few things in print and on paper. However online you must be much more careful.

Almost no-one is reading your web text word-for-word

You can read much faster from paper than from screen

Your textual content should be roughly half the size of the print version

When writing for the web, you must be brief – big paragraphs are a no-no. It's also important to remember that each individual sub-page can be viewed independently, so never work under the assumption that previous page was read or – indeed – that the next one will be.

It's a good idea to provide prominent link to the home / background page, to help your online readers to understand the meaning of the whole site, even when they navigate themselves from search engine to one of your sub-pages.

Most of the online readers are not on your site because it's great (although I'm sure it is), but because they're looking for some information. So feed that to them first. If the info is not at the top, it's highly unlikely that someone will patiently scroll your page all the way down to find it.

Please remember that your readers are not stupid. They may lack the specific knowledge but don't underestimate their intelligence. Clear away from pompous descriptions, marketing BS and over-exaggeration and there's good chance that you'll gain readers trust.

Try to be informal in style. Humor is good when applied in moderation but don't use to clever headings – remember that readers are only scanning your site, so if you over do it in the headlines, the meaning of the whole paragraph may be lost.

It's a very good practice to update your content on regular basis. It'll make you more attractive for SE robots and humans. If you use any statistics, data or examples, made sure it's all fairly recent. Otherwise credibility of your website will suffer badly.

When we're on the subject of credibility, use client references and links to reviews or articles about your product/services. Only make sure it's all real, relevant and honest. Ask anyone for permission before you quote. And if you're using hyperlinks, check them yourself periodically.

In general: less is more. Use plain English, avoid complex sentences and difficult words. Cliché's are best to be avoided as well as clever puns – your foreign readers will be lost in translation. Leave any fancy writing for your blog, instead try to get to the point more or less directly.

Mike @ tommedia
More articles will follow