Creating user-friendly Web content
How many times have you visited a Web page where the text was too small? What's your reaction when you see spelling errors? How long do you hang around? As your own Web habits probably prove, poorly-delivered content is the kiss of death.
In this section you'll find four techniques that can help you avoid content pitfalls. Implementing these techniques will remove obstacles that stand between the reader and the content, thereby paving the way for a user-friendly content experience.
Legibility
In his book "Designing Web Usability," Jakob Nielsen offers four ways to make online content more legible (Nielsen, 125-126). They are:
- Use high contrast colors: Black text on a white background is the easiest to read. White text on a black background is slightly harder, but still usable.
- Avoid background patterns: Just because it's possible to put text over a plaid background doesn't mean you should do it. Resist the urge to enhance your site with background designs and textures -- they just get in the way.
- Use reasonable fonts: You may have 20/20 vision and the ability to see through walls, but many readers have trouble with miniature font sizes. Shoot for a size that's comfortable to read. Also, try to stick to common fonts like Verdana and Times. For a Web font to display properly, it must be installed on the reader's computer. If you use obscure fonts, the reader either has to download that font (something that rarely happens) or read your page with the browser's default font. If the design is tied to your weird font, your site could be hard to read.
- Use static text: Words that blink or move are very hard to read. Keep your letters on a short leash.
Editing
Unlike print publications or broadcast programs, Web screw-ups can be retracted. If you make a spelling or grammar mistake, you can correct that mistake instantaneously and no one is the wiser. It's a nice luxury, but it doesn't justify weak editing.
Ideally, pride will force you to edit your work, but if that's not enough of a catalyst, consider this: Individual errors may seem minor, but collectively they put massive dents in your credibility. Credibility is vital to building an audience. Without it, your site has nothing to distinguish itself from the thousands of poorly written home pages strewn across the Web. Making a concerted editorial effort is a great way to lift your site above the fray.
Scannability
When you visit a Web site, do you read every word in front of you? If you do, you're in the minority. Usability expert Jacob Nielsen says only 16 percent of tested subjects read Web pages word by word. On the flip side, 79 percent scan pages.
In his conclusion, Nielsen determines that Web pages with highlighted keywords and bulleted lists offer the most scan-friendly content. People who visit these pages are likely to find the information they want without slogging through every word.
Incorporating scannable elements into your pages is a good idea, but don't take the concept too far. There's no need to list everything in a bulleted list, and overzealous highlighting can make a page incredibly hard to read. Nobody wants to confront sentences like this.
Use multimedia carefully
Multimedia elements are capable of great evil. In the wrong hands, they block content, destroy downloads and crash browsers.
Dramatics aside, multimedia can also significantly enhance the user's experience. Audio, video and animation offer depth and interactivity that text can't provide. Flak Magazine, for example, created a custom commentary on the film "Mulholland Drive" and made it available as an audio download. Similarly, ElMundo.es, the online edition of the Spanish newspaper, used a well-designed Flash animation to illustrate the details on a newly-discovered giant squid.
The reason why these two examples work is because they don't go overboard. Often, when you're working with a new technology -- or tools you don't normally use -- your initial urge is to push the limits and see what you can create. This is fine when you're learning new skills, but when it comes time to load your massive streaming video project to your Web site, take a step back and consider this multimedia content from the user's perspective. Is this the most effective way to deliver this content? Will the multimedia help or hinder the user? The answers to these questions will justify whatever decision you make.
In the event you choose to use multimedia, do your best to eliminate unnecessary obstacles. Be sure to provide a link to plug-ins that are needed to view, hear or access your multimedia content. Also, warn people about multimedia by clearly marking it with text or an icon. People get confused and frustrated when regular looking links spawn browser windows, video players and external programs. Let people know what they're getting into beforehand.
And finally, do everyone a favor by testing your multimedia before you unveil it to the world. You won't make any friends -- and worse, you'll lose visitors -- if a 10-minute download doesn't work.
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