I love to read. When I left my full-time job to start working from home, I got to add time for a lot of things, including reading. Especially reading. In addition to the reading and research I do for my writing, I’m always reading for the sheer enjoyment of it.
But I know that not everybody loves to read. In fact, I know that most people consider reading a chore, especially when it comes to reading a web-page, so I write web-pages that no one actually has to read to understand what I’m saying. Sure, they may miss my intricately crafted allusion to “The Sandkings,” but that’s there for people who enjoy reading. People who don’t enjoy reading can just use these three simple tools to get what they need and go:
- Substantive subheadings
- Bulleted lists
- Dumbshow
Substantive Subheadings
Subheadings are an essential component in all website content. They perform many roles:
- Guide readers to information they want
- Visually break up content
- Contain the most important information
Although it’s common for people to use subheadings that perform the first two roles, it’s common for people to neglect the third important role. For example, when writing about temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), you might have a section on TMJ Symptoms. Why use a heading that is simply “TMJ Symptoms” when you can add information like “TMJ Symptoms Affect the Entire Body.” Similarly, sections on diagnosis and treatment can include additional information like “Scientific TMJ Diagnosis” and “Effective TMJ Treatment.” It doesn’t have to be a lot, but adding a little extra information to the subheading can help people understand the message without diving into the full content.
Detailed Lists
Bulleted lists are another common internet writing tactic. These also help your content by:
- Visually breaking up content
- Summarizing detailed information
Detailed lists are great for filling in a lot of the information that you just can’t fit in your subheadings. For example, what are the TMJ symptoms. There are more than 30 recognized TMJ symptoms, so it’s a little hard to put them in your subheadings. But you can put them into your bulleted lists, where they’re almost as easy to find.
It’s also important that these lists are not there just for the sake of having a list. They always contain relevant information.
Using a Dumbshow to Target Low-Level Readers
The dumbshow was a feature of many Medieval and Renaissance plays in which the actors silently and simply acted out the entire play in just a couple minutes. Think 30 Second Bunnies Theater, but silent and with no bunnies. The point is, you get the entire message of the play before it starts, so that even if the action or dialogue is confusing or you can’t pay attention for the whole two hours or whatever, you still get the point.
Webpages should use a similar tactic, summarizing the entire content of the page in a simple way that specifically describes how it relates to readers and what you want them to do about it, i.e. your call to action (CTA). That way, your readers understand everything they need to know about a topic before they ever encounter any challenging language or ideas. Typically, I like to make this about 100 words or less, though sometimes they do run long. The dumbshow accomplishes all these purposes:
- Summarizes complex information
- Puts page in a relational context–addresses readers directly
- Places a text-link CTA is above the fold, if any text is
But wait, you might say, why write this special summary if people are going to be scanning your page anyway and getting these ideas that way? Two reasons:
- Redundancy
- Everyone comes to the internet
Redundancy is another word for “fail-safe.” Your website may not be a rocket, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t have backup systems. The more times you say your message, the more likely people are to get it.
When I say everyone comes to the internet, I mean everyone. This includes people who don’t normally come to the internet, if they have a need to find a good or service. Research shows that readers with little web experience don’t scan the way more advanced visitors do. Instead, they begin at the top and keep reading until they reach something they don’t understand. Then they may skip forward, or, more likely, decide to leave the page if they haven’t gotten the information they need. These readers may comprise a surprisingly large segment of your customer base, and it is for these readers that a dumbshow should always be included.
If you have additional insight about conveying the message without making visitors read, please share in the comments. If you need website content and want it written for readers and non-readers alike, please contact Writer MC with information about your needs.