Crafting Engaging Online Content: Writing for the Web Guide

1. Creating online learning resources Martin Bazley Arts University College, Bournemouth 21 Jan 2011

2. Martin Bazley Previously • Teaching (7 yrs) • Science Museum, London, Internet Projects (7yrs) • E-Learning Officer, MLA South East (3yrs) • Currently • Vice Chair, DLNet (was E-Learning Group for Museums, Lib, Archives) • Consultancy, websites, training, user testing, evaluation …Martin Bazley & Associateswww.martinbazley.com • Slides and notes available online

4. www.martinbazley.com

5. For most people the web is a predominantly visual medium

6. We are all different and some people like to read all the text on a web page before deciding what to do next, even though a lot of it might be pretty redundant but most people – or at least most regular users of the web – rather than reading through them in detailjust scantheweb pagesthey are using, or at least the ones where they are still trying to work out where to go next

8. Users won't read your text thoroughly word-by-word. Exhaustive reading is rare, especially when browsing. Yes, some people will read more, but most won't.

9. The first two paragraphs must state the most important information. There's some hope that users will actually read this material – though they'll probably read more of the first paragraph than the second.

10. Start subheadings, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-behaviour. They'll read the third word on a line much less often than the first two words.

11. If they have to work at it for example if they cannot see what they are looking for, or if it doesn’t make sense to them at first glance then mostpeople– or at least many people who do a lot of searching or browsing on the webjustdecide that this particular site is not for them, and anyway they have a long list of other search results or ideas to try and so they go elsewhere

12. About website structure, ways people use the web and implications for writing for the web

13. Certain types of websites impose linear user journeys: TheTrainline.com Cinema ticket bookings Self assessment tax return online

15. In most websites, although there are some linear elements …

17. … people like to have other pathways available to them…

18. … and most journeys are very non-linear

19. Also, most people reach your website via Google Only 20% arrive at your website on the home page

20. Most may not have had your site in mind when searching

21. 30% of them go to home page to ‘try and work out what this site is about’

22. So each page on the site must quickly: • engage users and • give sense of what site is about – otherwise most will leave

23. ‘Writing for the web’ is not just about text…

24. … but also choosing the right images … layouts … graphical look and feel …website structure etc etc

25. Key point of paragraph/ section Image clearly related to text Broken into short paras

26. Short video guides • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoU2yANNxRs&eurl=http://inside.123-reg.co.uk/archives/video-writing-your-web-copy • Writing web headlines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBg7dJIfHM0

27. Home page: key functions • Offer overview: • Show user what the site can do for them • Show user what is in the site: • The structure at a glance • Content highlights or samples • Engagement: • make user want to continue browsing • www.manchestergalleries.org/

28. Article page: key functions • Engage the user – make them want to consume the article • Signposting: • Show user what else is nearby in the site • The structure at a glance • Show user what else the site offers them • www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=73 • www.manchestergalleries.org/

29. Short writing exercises

30. Short writing exercises

31. Home page: key functions • Offer overview: • Show user what the site can do for them • Show user what is in the site: • The structure at a glance • Content highlights or samples • Engagement: • make user want to continue browsing

32. Article page: key functions • Engage the user – make them want to consume the article • Signposting: • Show user what else is nearby in the site • The structure at a glance • Show user what else the site offers them • www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=73 • www.manchestergalleries.org/

33. Task: create some online content

34. Banner Decide where in the site this will be Write a few sentences. Add subheading Few more sentences Short, clear summary This is an ARTICLE page Add a title

35. Where in the site is this? Title Add a summary? Links to related points elsewhere in this site Each ‘promo’ needs Title Image? One-line descn This is a SECTION page - one of these links goes to the article page

36. Interactive whiteboards

37. Using whiteboards • http://www.teachers.tv/ict/whiteboardtips • http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/tutorials.asp# • http://www.prometheanplanet.com

38. Roles of IWB … at different points in the lesson / learning cycle • Starter • Main • Plenary

39. Interactive” means • “lots of things moving on screen, clickable, automatic response, quizzes etc • interaction between students, teacher and screen – activities, conversation, cognitive engagement, etc first meaning used mainly by companies trying to market whiteboards, software etcas ‘interactive’ second used mainly by educators

40. Resources – examples HE /other • www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/ • http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/ • www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers • www.manchestergalleries.org/ford-madox-brown/ • www.seayourhistory.org.uk/content/view/20/35/ • www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/latinpalaeography/ • www.preraphaelites.org/

41. Resources - examples • Bedford Bytes • Britons at War • Tate Tools • Museum Network Artworks • National Portrait Gallery Mary Seacole • National Gallery • Museum of London Fire of London

42. Resources for use on whiteboards - examples • Wartime in Bedford • http://www.movinghere.org.uk/schools/default.htm • www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=409 (Passion for Fashion) • http://www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=318 (Ruskin) • Ford Madox Brown MAG

43. Some examples • http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/british-natural-history/index.html • http://www.manchestergalleries.org/the-collections/highlights-of-the-collection/narrativeobject.php?irn=876 • www.seayourhistory.org.uk/content/view/39/77/ • http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/business/2781.html

44. Task: create some online content -review

45. Home page: key functions • Offer overview: • Show user what the site can do for them • Show user what is in the site: • The structure at a glance • Content highlights or samples • Engagement: • make user want to continue browsing

46. Article page: key functions • Engage the user – make them want to consume the article • Signposting: • Show user what else is nearby in the site • The structure at a glance • Show user what else the site offers them • www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=73 • www.manchestergalleries.org/

47. More information: Well presented advice on usability including writing for the web, with a useful little self test option • http://usability.coi.gov.uk/ •  A one page structured set of advice: http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/copywriting/writing-for-the-web/

48. More information (2) • Simple to follow good practice list: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/aboutus/whoweare/brand/webwriting.aspx • Articles to read and help you develop skills http://www.writingfortheweb.co.uk/artwrite.html •  Classic advice from usability guru Jakob Nielsenhttp://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/

49. Website users

50. How do you get it right for everyone? • Answer: • You can’t get it right for everyone. • You have to make choices, and stick to them: • Who is it for? • What.. • How…