5 Important Website Writing Design Conventions.
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Internet Business -> subcategory Web Design.
5 Essential Website Writing & Design Principles
Summary: Your website's presentation is as crucial as its content. Even the best content can go unread if poorly presented. By enhancing your website’s usability, you encourage visitors to stay longer, explore more, and boost sales.
Key Concepts:
- Web design- Website design
- Writing for the web
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In this article, we cover the five key principles for effective website writing and design.
Your website's presentation is just as vital as its content. Even the finest content won't be read if the site's design is unappealing. Enhancing usability keeps visitors engaged, encourages them to read more, and potentially increases sales.
If your website's goal is to inform readers or guide them towards a specific action (like making a purchase), follow these design and writing principles:
1. Start with Vital Content
2. Provide Informative Link Text
3. Create Scannable Pages
4. Simplify Website Designs
5. Maintain Clear Navigation
1. Start with Vital Content
People skim through pages quickly, leaving if nothing grabs their attention. Place your most important content at the top of the page.
Design your layout to ensure crucial information isn't pushed below the "page fold," your "Prime Real Estate." Avoid wasting valuable space with large logos, unnecessary graphics, or vague headlines.
Begin each page with a summary or list of contents. Be specific, and highlight the most recent updates in a "What's New" section.
2. Provide Informative Link Text
Users decide within seconds if a page is worth reading. Generic link text like "Click here" misses an opportunity to inform, and can be problematic for visually impaired users using screen readers.
Anchor text should hint at the content behind the link, aiding readers in making informed decisions.
- Bad: To learn about icebergs, [click here].
- Better: [Icebergs]
- Best: [Where icebergs come from.]
Enhance links with blurbs:
Blurbs: Short Previews of Web Pages
A blurb is a brief paragraph previewing the linked page. If it helps users decide to click, it's effective.
3. Create Scannable Pages
Unlike books or magazines meant for sequential reading, online text is consumed in smaller, non-sequential chunks. Each page should stand alone, understandable regardless of prior pages or search engine entry.
Utilize meaningful headers, subheadings, bullet points, and bold keywords to facilitate easy skimming.
4. Simplify Website Designs
Visitors come for information, not flashy graphics. They're seeking details, prices, contact info, or directions. Unless your site is about graphic effects, minimized distractions are key.
Web-savvy users tend to overlook ads. Anything flashy can detract from your content.
Use images wisely:
- Opt for smaller images when feasible.
- Use thumbnails that expand if clicked for large collections.
- Compress image files to reduce load times.
For more information on optimizing images, visit our [Using images in your webpages](http://blt-web.com/web_design/using_images.html) section.
5. Maintain Clear Navigation
Apart from slow-loading pages and pop-ups, poor navigation is a top grievance. Consistent, easy-to-understand navigation across all pages is crucial.
- Use identical menus site-wide.
- Organize links logically, grouping related items.
- Clearly label link titles and descriptions.
- Prefer text links; if using images, include alt attributes for clarity.
Websites with over ten pages need not have cross-links on every page. Instead, direct to sectional "Tables of Contents."
Ensure each page links back to the homepage and site map. Small sites under ten pages might skip a site map, but well-structured homepages should still link to all pages for search engine optimization.
For more tips, see our [Menu Design Tips](http://blt-web.com/web_design/menu_design.html) page.
By adhering to these five simple guidelines, your website can thrive. Quicker page loads and accessible information boost content engagement and desired actions.
To Your Success,
Tim
Additional Reading:
- [Writing and Editing Like a Pro: Entrepreneurs Guidebook
57](http://www.smbtn.com/books/gb57.pdf)
- [Writing for the Web](http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/) - User behavior research and authoring tips.- [Writing for the Web by Jakob Nielsen](http://www.sun.com/980713/webwriting/) - Insights from a pioneer in web usability.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: 5 Important Website Writing Design Conventions..
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