One of the thing that are easily forgotten when creating a website is that an important part of a good site is the text on it. In the middle of programming and designing a site it is easy to forget how important good communicating is for the user experience. Are you unsure about how to begin then we have gathered a few tips to get you started.
The text that you find on websites doesn’t always work the same way as it does in books or on paper. It is, of course, the same letters and overall structure, but on a website text exits together with the design and the context it is placed in.
This means, that a lot of elements outside of the text itself will determine the effect and the use of the text itself. Does it have a specific font, size or color. Does it exist next to an image or maybe it is part of the header.
Even something like what type of HMTL tag it exists within will change the way the text is viewed. This also means that you have to think of the text a little differently depending on which part of your site it is supposed to be part of. Website text tend to be divided into three different parts:
These are just some of the kinds of context that the text can exist within.
With all this in mind, how do you then make your text the best it can be, so it fits with the website format. There are ways to ensure that your text will do just that
Usually, when creating a website you want to spread some form of information. Maybe it is about a service, a product or topic. If you want to have your users believe in what you have to tell then you need to build up your credibility and earn their trust.
There are many ways to appear trustworthy to people. One of the ways is to show your expertise. If you have a service or a product then you most likely know a lot about it. This is something that you can try to get across in the text you write.
Another way is to borrow credibility from others. This can be done by showing numbers or statistics about your topic or by showing how others back up your claims. This can either be other experts or companies or other users.
Showing that you are not the only one who believes or says something.
Another way is to match the tone of the audience that you want to reach. Acting similarly to your audience can make them identify with you and will make it more likely for them to trust you and your words.
Having to many words can be overwhelming and take away from what you actually want to say. Fewer words can make you point stand out more.
Keeping it simple can make your content accessible to more people and help move your users further onto your site and get them to where they need to go.
It will make it more likely that they will end up interacting with the content that you want them to and that is really what you want from a website.
Consistency is important for your website to have a professional and trustworthy feel. Keeping the same tone and writing style throughout your site helps create a cohesive experience and will make it easier to navigate.
Consistency can sometimes be as easy as keeping the same font, size and color of your text. It can also be keeping the same tone throughout your site. Making sure that if you are very informal in one part it stays that way in the rest of the text as well.
Not only will this make it easier for your users to navigate but it will help you establish a clear impression for your brand.
Most of your users will go onto your site to look for something specific, so it can be a good idea to as easy as possible to get a clear outline of what information is where on your site.
One way to achieve this is by including buzzwords in your text. Try figuring out what words are important for your topic and make sure that they are used in crucial parts of your site – like the headings. This will make it easier to find which parts you need to read.
Just make sure they don’t drown in long complicated sentences.
Your website only really works if the users engage with it. So, it is important to encourage your users to interact and click around on your site. You have put a lot of time and effort into creating it so it would be a waste for users to not go any further than the first page.
This can be done as simply writing ‘click here’ if you want to redirect people to the parts of you are writing about. You can also make sure to include links in your texts so people will move around your site. Naming these links in ways that tell people exactly where it leads will help people be more likely to click on them.
Using buttons or changes in color or texture of a text will make it stand out and draw the users attention to it. This might make them engage with your site.
It is not very likely that you will write a perfect first draft. This makes it even more important to then write different versions or at least edit the first one.
It is important to not be afraid to change the your text. It is easy to get stuck on a specific version of a text, but sometimes it isn’t the way it works best. Walking away for a bit and coming back might give you a new perspective.
Being open to change both in the beginning or later on in the process will ensure that you get the best possible version in the end.
The heading – or headline – is the first thing people see or are used to navigate throughout your site. So, it is important to make sure they are interesting enough to make people continue reading.
Your headings are the first impression to your content and are often used as way to find out what users are interested in reading further. Therefore, it is a good idea to include as much important information there whilst still making them easy to digest for the users.
Try to find a balance between informative and captivating.
As previously mentioned looking at your writing in context is important. This means that you do at some point need to put the text onto your site, so you can see how it looks next to everything else on your site. Is the paragraph to long? Does the heading look out of context? These are things that you can only see when you are on your site.
However, it is equally important to remember that aesthetic isn’t everything, but making sure your writing flows well with the rest of your content will make it easier to consume for others.
If you are completely lost and don’t know where to start then it might be a good idea to start by looking at other sites. Seeing how other people are doing it is a good way to find elements that you like but also don’t like. Both can be very useful as it helps narrow down the endless possibilities.
It is impossible to create a completely unique website, but that doesn’t mean that you should copy directly from others. But finding something and making it fit your brand and your style is a great way to get started. Especially when you are a bit lost.
In conclusion, creating the writing for your site can be just as important as many of the other steps in your website creation. Therefore, it is good to make sure you know what you want to do with a text and keep your user in mind. Make the content simple and coherent throughout your site. Keep in mind what is important to you, your brand and field. Your users will thank you for it.
