Structure the content

What works well when reading online as well as FPAC recommendations on ways to keep online readers in mind when writing and editing.

Important information first

Online, users tend to scan text until they find the information they need. No matter how carefully you craft your content, most people will only read 25 percent of it. This statistic isn’t meant to dishearten; rather, we believe it underscores the importance of getting content right.

Put the most important information in the first two paragraphs. That’s the section users are most likely to read. In journalism, this technique is called the “inverted pyramid.”

Break up text

Large chunks of text can overwhelm readers, who tend to skip them. Instead, use subheads and bullet points to provide clear narrative structure for readers in a hurry - especially if used as a summary section at the top of a news release (for example). Put information-carrying words at the beginning of the phrase, and use active voice.

Instead of:

Looking into the regulation of campaign finances.

Use:

Campaign finance law explained.

If you’re wrangling a lot of data, tables can help you visualize that content. Long paragraphs cluttered with numbers or dates are more difficult to scan than, for example:

Keep sentences short and sweet

Craft sentences at 25 words or fewer, whenever possible. If a sentence has fewer than 14 words, readers understand 90 percent of content. At 25 words, sentences are markedly more difficult to comprehend.

We also recommend varying sentence length. Switching things up helps you keep readers interested. This tactic will also give you better control of your content’s tone — a text with only short sentences can unintentionally sound terse. The occasional longer sentence adds a bit of narrative interest (and can help a piece of writing sound friendlier, too).

Here’s an example of how you might transform a too-long sentence into something more manageable.

Instead of:

Due to privacy and logistical considerations, passes cannot be replaced if lost or stolen; a new Paper Voucher must be accessed by going to the everykidinapark.gov website and completing the same activities to obtain a new Paper Voucher.

Use:

Unfortunately, we can’t replace lost or stolen passes. Get a new pass by visiting everykidinapark.gov and signing up again.

Don’t use FAQs

If you write content by starting with user needs, you won’t need to use “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQs).

FAQs are strongly discouraged because they:

• Duplicate other content on your site,
• Are hard to read and search for,
• Are usually not questions asked by the public, and
• Mean that content is not where people expect to find it—successful content must be placed in context.

If you’re thinking about posting FAQs, review the related content on your site and look for ways to improve it.

For example:

• Is the content organized in a logical way?
• Can you group similar topics together?
• Is it easy to find?
• Is it clear and up-to-date?

If people are asking similar questions, then existing content isn’t meeting their needs. Perhaps you need to rewrite it or combine several pieces of content. Pay attention to what users are asking for and find the best way to guide them through the process.