Put the most important words first, so they’re easy to spot. Users look for headings, keywords, and other "eye-stoppers" that grab their attention. Especially on web/mobile, users may leave if content requires a lot of scrolling. Put the most important information FIRST.What is the reader trying to do? People usually want to take an action, not just learn.Why is the reader coming to this content? What does the reader want to know, find or understand?.Who is the reader? Remember there may be more than one audience for your content.Quoting laws and regulations, unless absolutely necessary.Talking at your reader, instead of with them (having a conversation vs.Humor, which often doesn’t translate well.Unnecessary intensifiers (e.g.: very, much, best, quite).Colloquialisms (think “Our team does the heavy lifting so you don’t have to”).Idioms (think “It’s raining cats and dogs”).Legal, technical, medical, or marketing jargon.Using 2 different terms to mean the same thing (like doctor, physician, provider), unless unavoidable by policy constraints or intentional for SEO benefit (like health plan and health insurance).This is especially important with web writing, as simple words are often common search terms that enhance SEO. Conversational tone is easier to understand. The application must be completed by the applicant and received by Human Resources by June 1. It can help to look for a “by” phrase, and rewrite so the actor is first.Įligibility will be determined by your state.Ĭomplete your application and return it to us by June 1. Passive voice is often awkward, it’s usually longer, and it makes readers work harder to translate. Use active voice, not passive voiceĪctive voice helps make action more clear by highlighting the person doing the action, followed by the verb. Consider breaking up long text across multiple pages. If your webpage requires scrolling, make sure there are headers and/or menus to help users find what they’re looking for. Readers overlook the second point when there are multiple items in a single chunk. Each content chunk should address just one issue. Write content in independently meaningful chunks that make sense when taken out of context. Put the most important information first. Paragraphs should be 2 or 3 sentences max. Remember audiences are scanning, not reading. Put the most important information at the beginning. Try to keep sentences to 20 words or less. Keep sentences as short as you can - the shorter, the better. If we write clearly and concisely, the purpose and meaning should be obvious. If the page really makes it easy, it should be obvious. Language like “this page makes it easy for you to find helpful contacts” is unnecessary. Eliminate promotional, redundant, outdated, and trivial copy. Users don’t care about what your organization and programs are doing they care about WHAT AFFECTS THEM. Too much unnecessary text leads to skipping. As communicators, it’s our job to help them get what they need quickly. People have limited attention and patience and are quickly frustrated when expectations aren’t met. Ask yourself: Is this content saying something meaningful or adding new information?
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