Well-Written Web Content: Even When It’s Not Your Job, It’s Your Responsibility

Leslie O’Flahavan, E-WRITE@LeslieOPLAINNovember 14, 2012

Really, this workshop isn’t for ME. A friend of mine has a problem with web writing…

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Overview

• How to write plain language web content 

• How to convince colleagues that writing good web content is important 

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Today’s web writing topics

How to write:

1. Task-oriented, actionable web content

2. A bite, a snack, and a meal

3. Concise, non-fluffy web content

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Today’s “how to get good content out of other people” topics

1. How to use before-and-after examples to illustrate web writing principles

2. When to refuse to publish web content that’s just not well written

3. How to use the wealth of new plain language resources

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Know whether you are writing a lobby or a room

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Write task-oriented, actionable web content

Helping people do things online (complete tasks) is web content’s highest calling

• Some web writing helps people know

• Some web writing helps people do

• Best practice: focus on top tasks

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Four guidelines for writing task-oriented web content

1. Name the task clearly and provide an overview.

2. Make the task scannable as users may bookmark it and return frequently.

3. Provide an example, illustration, or screenshot when necessary.

4. Link to background info instead of including it in the task.

5. Make the web content substantive; don’t lock all the info about the task into the PDF form.

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Name the task clearly and provide an overview

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Make the task scannable

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Provide an example, illustration, or screenshot

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Link to background info instead of including it in the task

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Practice writing task-oriented content

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Write a bite, a snack, and a meal

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Write a bite, a snack, and a meal

How content-hungry is the reader?

How much content does the web writer provide?

• Bite

• Snack

• Meal

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Sample bites, snacks, and meals

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Sample bites, snacks, and meals

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Sample bites, snacks, and meals

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These bites and snacks need work

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Practice writing a bite and a snack

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Edit web content for two types of conciseness

1. Relevance: Review each chunk to determine whether is essential to the content’s overall purpose or message.

2. Brevity: Edit conscientiously so the content is as brief as possible:

– 1 word, not 2– 20-word sentences, not 45-word sentences– 3-sentence paragraphs, not 15-sentence

paragraphs

Step 1 in editing for conciseness: Relevance

Review the Health Information and Quality Authority’s “What we do and why” page:

1. Is each chunk of content relevant to the overall purpose: to explain who they are and what they do?

2. Cross out any chunk of content that is not relevant.

3. No wordsmithing! No copyediting!

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Our conclusion? Is all the web content “Type 1” relevant?

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Step 2 in editing for conciseness: Brevity

What’s the effect of cutting word count? • A 10% cut eliminates annoying phrases

—“in order to”—and unnecessary modifiers to lightly refresh the text.

• A 25% cut eliminates all types of word fluff and may alter the message slightly.

• A 50% cut alters the message: narrower scope, fewer persuasive points, fewer examples, etc.

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Test the web writing maxim: “The best thing you can do for your content is cut by 50%”

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My 76-word version

Approach We improve your organization’s performance by maximizing the

capabilities of your systems and personnel. Our consultants employ our proven six-step approach to gain you quantifiable results:

1. Assess the department to discover problems and opportunities.2. Analyze day-to-day operations to understand the department’s

performance.3. Recommend improvements.4. Partner with administration, physicians, and front-line staff to

solve problems.5. Provide support while you implement new processes.6. Maintain contact so you can sustain your successes.

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“Another guy’s” much better 90-word version

ApproachWe improve our clients’ performance—people and systems alike. Our

techniques are proven, our consultants are respected, and our clients gain measurable benefits.

Here’s how we do it:

• Assess. What's not working? What's not making sense? Where are the opportunities?

• Observe. Dive into day-to-day operations to learn the ground truth.• Recommend. Identify specific improvements.• Partner. Collaborate with administrators, physicians and front-line staff in

problem-solving efforts.• Execute. Provide support and manage change during the

implementation. • Follow up. Keep in ongoing contact to sustain success.

-- David Kay of DBKay & Assoc.

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Three guidelines for writing concisely

1. Edit for relevance first and brevity second

2. Keep paragraphs short and focused– About five sentences or 75 words– Easily recognized as a chunk– On one topic

3. Use plain, simple language

Too Fancy Nice ‘n Plain

Utilize Use

At the present time Now

As per your request As you requested

How do I get quality content out of these people? Either they can’t write or they don’t want to …

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Today’s “how to get good content out of other people” topics

1. Use before-and-after examples to illustrate web writing principles

2. Refuse to publish web content that’s just not well written

3. Use the wealth of new plain language resources

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Library of Congress FAQs - before

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Library of Congress FAQs - after

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NIEHS Aflatoxin - before

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NIEHS Aflatoxin - after

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Use before-and-after examples to illustrate web writing principles • Examples make principles concrete• Examples enable people who lack content

lingo to participate in content discussions and take responsibility for their content

• Examples enable people to gauge how much work is involved in rewriting their content instead of freaking out

• Examples are a natural resource in the plain language community – collect them!

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As a plain language advocate, should you refuse to publish this content?

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When to refuse to publish web content that’s just not well written • No one will agree to own the content

• The links are broken

• The content is inaccurate, noncompliant, or inconsistent with your organization’s role or mission

• A well-written version exists

• It’s causing problems in the bricks-and-mortar world

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Use the wealth of new plain language resources• Events

• Organizations

• Content style guides

• Writing standards

• Plain language examples

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Questions? Comments?

Contact info:

Leslie O’Flahavan, E-WRITE

Leslie@ewriteonline.com

301-989-9583

www.ewriteonline.com

@LeslieO

www.linkedin.com/in/leslieoflahavan

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