Training > Content Usability: Writing
for the Web
Audience: This tutorial is intended for online and technical writers and editors, usability specialists, marketing managers, product managers, Web and UI designers, content managers, developers, and anyone tasked with writing, editing or managing content for a website, intranet or Web application. Suggested prerequisites are knowledge of Web usability issues and experience writing in English.
Description: This tutorial teaches how to create Web content that is useful, usable, and appealing. Rewriting text according to our guidelines can more than double the usability of a site, intranet or application—and can have a significant impact on an organization’s revenue growth and cost savings. Attend this tutorial to learn and discuss the very latest research and guidelines on content usability (see topics below). You’ll also learn how to create and evaluate content with special techniques, develop content style guides, define content metrics, and gauge content usability’s return on investment (ROI). As time permits, we will review content examples that you suggest.
Length: 2 days
Course Highlights:
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Why content matters
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How users read online
o Scanning vs. reading
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Fundamental research on content usability
o Measuring Web reading
o Quantitative and qualitative findings
o Promotional writing style
o Length of writing
o Cognitive load
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Rules of Web writing
o Rules that matter
o Style guides
o Accessibility
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Organizing content
o Linear vs. non-linear
o By task
o By topic
o By audience
o Other ways
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Titles, headings and summaries
o Context
o Guidelines for usability
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Web credibility
o How to enhance trustworthiness and expertise
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Integrating graphics and other media content
o Research
o How to do it
o User expectations
o User attention
o The importance of captions and summaries
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Help and online documentation
o The paradox
o How to do it
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Press releases and writing for the media
o One reason online press releases are bad
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Content and joy of use
o Make users like your site or application
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Recent research on content usability
o Content for specific user audiences
o Search engine optimization (SEO) and content usability—are they at odds?
o Participatory content: wikis, blogs and other “Web 2.0-ness”
o Content for complex applications and websites
o Eyetracking studies
o Error message usability
o Content for selling
o Online data comparisons
o Readability
o Mobile devices
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Content usability and ROI
o Data for your arsenal
o Case studies
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Defining metrics for content success
o Which metrics matter
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Content style guides
o Value
o Examples to borrow from
o Creation and enforcement
o Politics
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Web content and the site/product development process
o How content work fits in
o Content and Agile Development
o Case study
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Techniques for evaluating content
o Selecting the right technique
o Focus groups
o Interviews
o Surveys
o Usability tests
o Web analytics
o Other methods
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Challenges for large and small organizations, and strategies for surmounting them
o Budget
o Time
o Staff
o Scale
o Other challenges
o Myths
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Reviews of content examples you suggest (as time permits)
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