Steps for Writing Smart for Web & Mobile

Writing Effectively for the Web & Mobile

Jeff Wisniewski and Darlene Fichter

Most writers for the web write on a desktop and write too much content for mobile devices. Furthermore, writers are not considering that some (or most) people only own mobile devices or mainly use mobile devices for their searches (this touches upon my previous post on Notess) not a large desktop. Thus, Wisniewski and Fichter presented and emphasized the following tools and steps for writing effectively on a website that is mobile accessible.

Step One: Concise

1. Be Concise and Succinct
2. Cut the fluff, superlatives, (which is seen as self promotional and brews distrust)
3. Appropriate Reading Level
1. Desktop General Audience: 8th Grade
2. Desktop College Graduate: 12th Grade
3. Mobile: Subtract 2, 4, or even 6 Grade levels.

Step Two: Content

1. Tighten the content
2. More content is the enemy of GOOD content (redundancies)
3. Lower the reading level expectations
4. Lower Comprehension (2 x's harder to read and understand complex content)

Step Three: Think or Empathize with Users

1. Users feel ripped off if you lead them along, but don’t offer high benefit
2. Figure out what is crucial to write about
3. Link to useful secondary content (DO NOT WRITE RIGHT IT - LINK IT)
4. DO NOT include any extraneous content
5. Users become “visibly angry at verbose sites.”

Step Four: Be Conversational

1. Active Voice
2. Be Personal
3. Pronouns “We, Us”
1. “We welcome you” vs. “The ……. Public Library welcomes you”

Step FIve: Consider the Small Screen

1. Short Sentences
2. Bullets and Lists
3. Users normally scan in an F Pattern (or similar blob-like pattern).  
   

   
4. Avoid the Long Page (Mini IA)
1. Prioritizing content and focus for the user’s purpose
2. Chunk the page
3. Move secondary content off
4. Less screen = Use more Memory

Step Six: Headings

1. First 2 words are critical - they draw or bore people
2. Use the BBC rule - maximum 55 characters.

Step Seven: Links

1. 

   Links to usable mobile content
2. Don’t link to desktop content (or at least say so)
3. Make link text big enough to tap
4. Use specific word - don’t use “click here.”

Step Eight: Big Screen

1. Pyramid Style (not to be used for MOBILE writing)
1. Most Newsworthy Info
2. Important Details
3. Other Information

CONCLUSION:

While this an overwhelming amount of information, it was an amazing session. I felt that I learned so much even though in retrospect it all seems pretty obvious information (as perhaps you can see with this blog post resembling with images a large F). I am eagerly looking forward to meeting with the technology services team in working on the website with these tools to really make the website shine and to properly reflect the RCPL team and all that we do!

So, what you do think? Does anyone think these steps don't work?