10. Too Much Text, Too Little Info
Most people hate to read. In fact, they will do almost anything to avoid it.
Compounding this is the fact studies show that words on a computer screen are 25 percent harder to read than words in print. This suggests people are 25 percent less likely to read words on a web page than they are the same words printed on paper.
Studies by Dr. Jakob Nielsen show that the average person doesn’t so much read web pages as scan them. This means that if he can’t easily find the answers to their questions by scanning your website, he may go elsewhere.
Unfortunately, this fact is lost on a lot of webmasters — including a significant number of dive store owners. They pack their websites with page after page of long-winded text — which few visitors take the time to read. Are you one of them?
Fixing the Problem
You don’t need a Nobel prize in literature to fix this one. Just a willingness to apply a few basic principles.
- Say More with Less: Write down everything you were going to say. Now cut it in half. Then cut it in half again.
- Don’t Be a Blowhard: Lose the speech about how your store, classes, trips and equipment are better than everybody else’s. Your readers are not interested. What they are interested in is how what you offer will save them time, money, effort or make life easier,safer, more convenient or more enjoyable. Say it concisely.
- Make Information Easier to Scan: Use lots of bullet lists, tables, headings and subheadings. Do not, however, create a hodgepodge of fonts, colors and sizes. Body copy, headings, etc., should be consistent in color and appearance (less jarring to readers).
- Identify Information Visually: Develop icons to signify the Who, What, Where and When. These help visitors find the answers they need faster.
- Use Lots of Pictures: These not only convey information more clearly, they make surrounding text more inviting to read.
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