The importance of getting to the point
The importance of getting to the point
In an age when time is the most valuable resource of all, it is vital to lead with the need, to answer the question as quickly and concisely as possible.
Your laptop keeps crashing. It’s driving you insane. You’ve waited for ages on the phone for support and have given […]
Help those who want to help themselves
On the Web, communicators must first and foremost help those who want to be helped, rather than trying to reach brand new audiences.
I’ve seen some powerful ads about drug use on UK television recently. They don’t pull any punches. At the end they advise you to go to a website. Do you know what that […]
Swine flu, H1N1 virus, Novel flu
Governments around the world are doing everything they can to rename swine flu. They will not succeed and will end up misinforming the public.
“Government officials in Thailand, one of the world’s largest meat exporters, have started referring to the disease as “Mexican flu,” according to an article in the New York Times. “An Israeli […]
Traditional writing skills don’t work on Web
Most web content is overwritten; too much content, too much context, not nearly enough focus on the action. Unfortunately, we’re taught to write this way.
How often are you presented with content on the Web that begins something like this: “Exciting, compelling, and effective user experiences result in high levels of customer loyalty, satisfaction, and […]
Writing killer web headings and links
It’s vital to get the first couple of words exactly right when writing effective web headings and links.
The first two words have a huge impact on whether or not people will click on a link according to a new study by Jakob Nielsen. This basically confirms the findings of a 2004 Eyetrack study from the […]
How many webpages can one person manage?
The Microsoft Office Online team that manages the Excel website has five people and looks after about 1,000 pages. That’s 200 pages per person.
We are still in the early stages of web management. Many web teams lack authority and resources. This generally results in very large unmanaged websites.
In a choices-overloaded world, it is not what […]
Removing poor quality content increases customer satisfaction
The Microsoft Office Online content team has found poor quality content to be like weeds in a garden. Left unchecked it smothers the quality content.
If you work on the Web you live in a culture of content production. It’s all about the creation and publishing of content. The web team has the skills to create […]
Why some content is deliberately complex
Sometimes, we are fools for complexity. When we hear complex language we can’t help but be impressed, even when we don’t understand what’s being said.
In Ben Goldacre’s excellent book, Bad Science, he often gives his opinion on the human condition, best summarized by: it looks complex, it sounds complex, it must be right, and it […]
Hidden power of content
Content influences offline purchasing behavior in profound ways. Its online influence is even greater.
“People say, I don’t trust my own experience, but I trust those numbers,” Christopher Hsee told Time Magazine in December 2008, when commenting on how people can be unduly influenced by product descriptions. Hsee, a professor of behavioral sciences and marketing at […]
What the Web is really good for
The Web helps us make better decisions based on us doing often very detailed research. But certain decisions don’t require any research at all.
Say you’re feeling a little hungry. Will you have a piece of chocolate or an apple? When faced with such a decision in the past, did you ever decide to Google “chocolate” […]
