In Don't Make Me Think, an excellent book on usability basics, Steve Krug talks about a trunk test. The gist: if you were stuffed in the trunk of a car, moved to a location, and then let out of the trunk, could you figure out where you are? The idea in relation to Web...
I am attracted to the new, the exciting, the different. I assume you are, too. As a writer, writing the same old thing 50 different ways is not new or exciting. In fact, that’s writing at its most boring. But, in a lot of instances, readers find it more valuable than...
All writers have a grammar pet peeve list -- phrases and writing errors that really get under our skin. It's/its. Their/there. But I think there's a whole other list of web writing pet peeves, and one sits at the very top: click here. Click here, when used as link...
When the time comes to write an article, web copy, or any piece, I always know exactly where to start. At the beginning. Or at the end. Sometimes in the middle. I realized a few years ago that I don't think I've ever approached two pieces in the exact same way and had...
Over the weekend I had to explain what I do to someone who doesn't deal with content, and I found it a good exercise. Finding the right words to make foreign concepts relevant and doing it succinctly -- that's a hallmark of good content. I wear many hats, but the most...
For an existing site, one of the first things I recommend is a content assessment. This process involves evaluating the content on the page for clarity and comprehension, but also looking for what is missing. To do this, I have to think like a new user, but I also...
When it comes to web content, life begins after launch. Prelaunch is where all the excitement is: the ideas, the writing, the approvals. But once the content is launched and available to the world, are you ready for what comes next? Web content lives forever (or until...
Content creation is a multi-step process. Off the top of my head, I can think of these parts: Voice and tone: Who are you writing as? Voice and tone tells the reader a lot about the company or publication’s intent. Grammar and consistency: Content needs to obey the...