Why It's Important
People read differently online than offline. It's important to cater to your visitors' reading style to make sure they get the information they want/need.
How you write your page will depend on the function of the page. Most (not all) pages on ACS.org are there to help users accomplish a task or find information. The tips and tricks presented here are directed at these types of functional pages. The goal is to move users through quickly and efficiently.
Starting Out
The most important part of composing a web page/section is to understand your target audience and its purpose. Before you begin writing, you should be able to answer these questions:
- Who am I writing this for?
- What information will those people come here to find?
The answers to these fundamental questions will guide the content you put on the page. Outline what is the absolute minimum information people will need. (Not “They might wonder about…”. Just “They will 100% NEED…”)This is not the only information you can put on your page. But any other information provided should contribute substantively to the user’s goal in coming to the page in the first place. Also, very likely that “100% NEED” you identified should be the content presented at the top of the page.Once you have answered your two key questions, write your content with these essential concepts in mind:
