Website Usability Guidelines

Writing Website Content

Follow these usability recommendations:

• Content Content is the most important part of a website. If the website does not provide valuable content the user will move on to your competitor's website. It's that simple. What follows are a few recommendations that should improve your website.

• Content Recommendation - It is highly recommended that you take a content inventory. A content inventory is a list of all the content on your website. By using a content inventory you will ensure that your website is up-to-date.

• Writing for the Web - Page content is the focus of the web user's attention. It's the reason they go online, and it's the first thing they look at when they load a new page.

• Avoid Jargon - Do not use words that the typical users may not understand. Many terms are familiar to the e-commerce merchant but not to the user. If you must use a technical word be sure to define the term.

• Use Familiar Words - Use words that are frequently seen and heard by your typical user. Remember, that the average reader reads at a sixth grade level. You will be surprised how many words are not understood by your website visitor.

• Define Acronyms and Abbreviations - Acronyms and abbreviations should be used sparingly and must be defined.

• Avoid long sentences. To optimize reading comprehension, minimize the number of words in sentence and the number of sentences in paragraphs. A sentence should not contain more than 20 words. A paragraph should not contain more than six sentences.

• Use Active Voice - Compose sentences in active rather than passive voice. Users benefit from simple, direct language. Sentences in active voice are typically more concise than sentences in passive voice.
  
  
• First Sentence Importance - The first sentence is the most important to get the user's attention. Include the primary theme of a paragraph and the scope of what it covers. Users tend to scan the first and second sentence when scanning text.
  
  
• Content Organization - Organize information the way the user thinks. Information should be in a clear and logical structure. By organizing information in a logical order, this will keep the user from getting bored, disinterested, or frustrated. E-commerce websites should follow the three click principle. Product, features/benefits, and price/buy now.
  
  
• Facilitate Scanning - Structure each content page to facilitate scanning. Use clear, well-located headings, short phrases and sentences and small readable paragraphs.
  
  
• Present the Necessary Information - Ensure that the necessary information is presented on the product page or information page. Users should not have to remember information from one page to another. We are always surprised at the number of e-commerce websites that users have to struggle to find the price or how to buy the product.
  
  
• Only Present Needed Information - Limit page information to only that product data that is needed for the user to make a decision to buy. Too much information may confuse the user.
  
  
• Multiple Audiences - Provide information in multiple formats if the website has distinct audiences who will be interested in the same product. Information can be provided at different levels of detail on the same website. For example, information about bicycling can be presented in different ways for professional cyclist and recreation cyclist. Users appreciate this professionalism in the website design process.