Online, readers don’t read; they scan. In fact, in one study, Jakob Nielsen (named the “guru of Web page usability” by the New York Times) found that the scannable version of a Web page was 47 percent more usable than an unscannable version. That’s a pretty huge ROI for some bullets and subheads.
To ensure you’re passing the skim test, follow these pointers:
• Understand and implement microcontent. The key to scannability is to make sure your Web visitors can understand the gist of the page by reading nothing but the microcontent. Microcontent is all those short bits of text that guide the user and provide an at-a-glance overview of what the page is about and includes headlines, decks, subheads, links, lists, bold-faced lead-ins and highlighted key words. To make sure your page is scannable, run the skim test on your copy. That is, make sure your Web visitors can get the gist of your page — without reading the paragraphs.
• Embed Your Messages in Microcontent. To pass the skim test, make sure your main points come through in your microcontent. Place your main idea in the headline and deck, or one-sentence summary under the headline. Major points should be placed in the subheads. Place any minor points in the links, bold-faced lead-ins and highlighted keywords.
• Test Your Copy. Now, have a colleague read just the microcontent: the headline, deck, subheads, links, lists, bold-faced lead-ins and highlighted keys words. Your co-worker should be able to understand your key points — without reading the paragraphs. If he/she does, your page is ready to post; if not, keep working to craft microcontent that lifts your key points off the screen.
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