Make Me Think About Length
Lynch & Horton: Page Width and Line Length
Macula:
Area of the retina used for tasks requiring high visual acuity. At reading distance, visual field is a few inches wide, so columned writing is easier to read than longer line lengths.Thoughts
I've never heard of a macula before, but now that I'm introduced to it, I can relate. I've always felt columns are easier to read, and now I know why. When reading a newspaper, I only have to move my eyes vertically. I don't have to put forth the effort to follow each line horizontally and then try to find the point where the next line starts. The shorter the length of the line, the faster I'm able to move my way down the page.I played with the idea when doing the reading, and it actually works to make the webpage smaller. However, any webpage with figures in which the size is set will cause the hassle of enlarging the page to be able to read the figure.
Page Length
Four Factors
- Relation between page and screen size
- Content of documents
- Browsing online, or downloading/printing document
- Available bandwidth
Anti-Scrolling
- Scrolling causes disorientation
- Resulted in navigational pages
This is good for:
- home pages and navigational pages
- documents to be read online
- pages with large graphics
Pro-Long Webpage
- Easier to Organize
- Easier to Download -- (just one full page, not multiple linked pages)
- Links are easier to manage
- Particularly useful for pages you don't expect readers to read online
Best of Both Worlds
Provide both versions. One with navigational buttons. Add a link to the full length version for printability.Thoughts
The Web Style Guide is meant to be read in print. I'm reading it online, but I don't feel disoriented. I think the ease of creating one long webpage often trumps the disadvantages of scrolling. However, this is only if the page is well-constructed and sectioned. I didn't get disoriented while reading Lynch and Horton because the headings of each section are almost always in view. I remember what section I'm in, and know what it's talking about.I don't think it's so much whether it's meant to be read online or offline, but rather whether its supposed to be read or simply looked at. For example, if I go to the website of a sports team, I have a specific purpose in being there. An objective. To fulfill the objective, I want to quickly find a link to where I need to go. I don't want to scroll through everything on the site until I find the one thing I'm looking for.
Page Stratification
Above the Fold: Each page of a website has the initial part of the page that is in the viewing area. Each one has to attract the reader, while giving the necessary and expected information for what is on that page.The bottom of each screen length should have something to draw the reader to the next one.
Thought
Is this actually true? When I'm on a webpage, I don't get to the bottom of the screen before I start to scroll. I usually keep the line I'm reading toward the top of the page, or else I scroll every time I finish a paragraph of text. I don't think putting something visually attractive toward the bottom of the screen is that effective.Web Writing Part 3
Less Really Is More
When writing for the web:- "Traditional" 10-20 word sentences out the window. I was never taught this in the first place.
- Cut traditional text by 50%. What?! No! Why shouldn't writing that's good enough for print be good enough for the web?
- Cutting original text in half makes your writing easier to scan. How? What do they think is being cut out to have that result?
- Short sentences -- 7-10 words -- are ideal. I think sentences that vary in length make the text easier to read overall. (less repetitive)
- Your readers will thank you for doing as little as possible. Not true. If they don't see the full article, they won't know how much was cut or how much of their time I saved them by writing less. There could always be more there.
Write Long, Then Trim
- Write 300 words for a 200 word allowance, then trim it down to 175 words. This doesn't always work. When I write articles on deadline, I have to prioritize the information and then write until either deadline hits or all the information is written (inverted pyramid).
- If you can't cut it, break it into chunks. Yes, this is effective.
- Arrange for printability. Sure, why not?
Keep Sentences Simple
- Complex sentences like this one, with its introductory subordinate clause and parenthetical prepositional phrase, are going to be troublesome.
- Better to write: Complex compound sentences are hard to read.
- Use short paragraphs
- Readers skip paragraphs longer than 4-5 lines.
- Use a new paragraph when a block of text gets uncomfortably long, even if it's still talking about the same subject. I'm a block-skipper. If I see a page of all words and no breaks in the action, I skip it unless I absolutely have to read it. I'm not sure anything more than five lines is too long, but there is a point where it gets to be too many words to look at.
- Most paragraphs have to stand alone as chunks
- Cut out transitional phrases
- Breaking simple paragraphs into bulleted lists often increases readability. When does this work? When doesn't it? If I see a bulleted list, I usually expect each bullet point to be very short.
Don't use words just to use words
Obviously. Simpler is better, unless longer is more effective.Dead phrases are zombies
- Don't attack the reader's intellect by adding dead phrases, redundancies, or obvious statements.
- Avoid: it goes without saying, needless to say, before I get started, first..., there (except when describing a place), it (when beginning a sentence)
Hot Text
Don't Make Me Read
People read 25% slower on a screen compared to on paper. I believe it, screens aren't fun.- People are uncertain where they are within a site, doubtful that the page has what they want, and distracted by ads.
- Solution: Cut the number of words in half. Gross
People Use Text, to Put Off Reading
- Menus, headings, and search results help readers select what to look at
- Buttons and links help users navigate sites
- Titles, headings, and introductory sentences help people decide whether something is actually worth reading. For sure.
- If you want to be sure someone will read what you write on the web, write less. Really? I don't think that's necessarily good information. I think more important are attractive headlines and a first sentence that strikes the reader's curiosity. From there, if the writing is good, they'll keep reading no matter how long it is.
Cut On-Screen and Off
It says to do this, but then completely advocates for on-screen editing, and that makes sense because the content is being published online anyway. You want to see it where it is going to end up.Take Several Whacks
After cutting once and going back over it, you'll realize more content can go.Go through and cut a few times to be sure all the unnecessary words are gone.
Save the Meaning, Cut the Rest
Words that have been included just to emphasize yoursincerity, like really and truly
- Words that don’t add anything to what you have already said
- Unnecessary details
- Phrases that unnecessarily repeat words you have already used, when a pronoun would do
- Phrases that tell the readers something they already learned earlier
- Pompous b.s.
- Corporate speak
Yes, all good to leave out. However, those should all be cut out of the print version as well, so I don't know how they expect it to be cut in half from there.
Long Vs. Short Articles Content Strategy
- Information Foraging: a way to formally model user trade-offs in deciding how much to read on your website.
- Diet Selection: same thing, except talking about animals and their food choices (readers and article-reading choices)
Cost Benefit Metrics for Reading
- Cost: time spent reading the content
- Benefit: could be money or enjoyment. amount learned???
- made up of benefit units
Long Vs. Short Matchup
- Short articles:
- 600 words, meaning a cost of 3 minutes to read (assuming a reading speed of 200 wpm)
- 7 benefit units gained from reading each article
- Long articles:
- 1,000 words, meaning a cost of 5 minutes to read
- 10 benefit units gained from reading each article
How did he select these statistics? There's no evidence of these being accurate.
- Short articles get 105 benefit units per hour, while long articles get 100.
Excerpt: "If you read my assumptions carefully, you'll notice why the math favors short articles: I assumed that short articles were 60% of the length of the long articles but still provided 70% of the benefit."
The fact that he put this in there points toward him wanting the results he got. He chose a desired result, and then picked the value of each length of article. I don't trust the study at all.
- A good editor should be able to cut 40% of the words, while only removing 30% of the value. Why not do this beforehand then? why should print be "long and boring" and the web should be more valuable?
When Long Has Value
If every third article produced 10 benefit units (because it was on something that people needed to know more details about), the value of the long articles are higher.The Best Result: write both.
- Write short for large readerships
- Write long for topics where details are important and specific readers are expected.
Four Cases
Case One: Moto Message
- With the shorter, navigational version, 97% more people went to the Tour and Features page, and 21% more went to the pricing page
Case Two: Design Boost
- 13% more email signups; 25% more looked at courses
Case Four: ConversionXL
- Removal of two blocks of text resulted in:
- 2.5 times more email subscriptions
- 25% more clickthroughs
- 46% more services page visits
Why Is That?
- People are lazy and have short attention spans. Largely true in today's world
- With a single, primary call to action, it's easier for readers to decide if the site is right for them, and it's easier to navigate from there.
- The goal of the Home Page is to get people off the home page (and down the sales funnel)
- Short home pages seem to do it best
When Is Each Length Better?
This simply depends on the site and the audience that it's reaching.- Long pages seem to work better when the site is asking for money
- Short pages are better in any other situation
Solution: Make a version of each, do an A/B test, and use the site with the best results.
