Are Your Documents Online-Ready?

By Vin D’Amico

Delivering content to be read online using a video monitor or a flat panel display presents unique challenges in readability and navigation. There is a tendency to take material designed for printed distribution, turn it into a PDF, or portable document format, and post it on a Web site. This is far from ideal and may frustrate readers.

There’s nothing wrong with PDF files. They just need to be structured for online use. There are several small but significant differences between print media and display media that make it essential to format content appropriately.

What makes online content different?
The online message is the same as the print message. However, important differentiators exist for online materials. The visual and tactile clues that print materials have don’t exist online. A printed item has weight, thickness and rectangular dimension. You can quickly get a sense of how big it is and how much time will be needed to read it.

This may explain why multiple studies have shown that people tend to quickly scan online content to determine if they should slow down and read the entire document. This behavior requires that the important points be highlighted to catch the reader’s attention.

Online readers also have a tendency to jump around within a document, not following the top-down, left-right paradigm we have come to expect. This behavior is more acute if the reader is familiar with the subject matter or it is spread over multiple Web pages.

Most people tend to read slower online. This behavior results from technology limitations in computer displays. They have lower resolution and sharpness than printed material. While this situation is improving as displays get better, it is still a good idea to keep online content brief.

Finally, printed information is often presented in multicolumn format (sometimes called snaking columns as used in newspapers). While this works great on paper, it requires far too much scrolling on a computer display. The repeated down-up-down movement frustrates readers.

Start with a plan
Online content requires extra planning but some things don’t change. Begin by identifying the target audience and creating the core message—the same as you would do for print material.

You’ll need to spend more time thinking about the structure of the information. Will it be a single Web page? If so, will the reader be forced to read from top to bottom or will links be embedded in the page for jumping to specific sections?

It’s a good idea to divide lengthy content into sections. Long, dense Web pages can be disorienting because they require readers to do a lot of scrolling. It can be difficult to refer back to an earlier point. You can’t use a yellow highlighter or dog-ear a page making it difficult to go back and clarify a point.
 
If the content must be lengthy, break it up into blocks of information. Within each block, use headings and subheadings. Breaking the content up helps online readers scan and locate the information they want without having to read through all of it.

Lengthy documents can also be broken up into multiple Web pages. This helps provide “bulk” so the reader gets a sense of size but introduces navigation issues. How will the pages be linked? How will the reader navigate from page to page? Will the reader be able to jump to the last page or back to the first page?

It is important to provide location information as in a printed document. The reader will be asking, “Where am I and how much further do I have to go?”

What if the reader lands in the middle of the document via a search engine? Will he know what to do and where to go next? Don’t leave him stuck in the middle.

Make each topic area stand alone. Never assume that the reader has seen all the prior material. Use embedded links to previous information when prior knowledge is helpful so the reader can jump back at any time to clarify a point.

Also, consider how each new article fits into the overall Web site. What prior articles should the new article link to? Should prior articles be updated to link to the new one? (Web professionals prepare “content maps” or “information architectures” that show content relationships and hierarchies.)

Be considerate of readers who may want to print the information. Many Web sites allow visitors to select a “print format” view that is simpler and less cluttered.

Navigational links to external content
Links to other documents require additional considerations.

Offer the reader links to supporting details, in-depth explanations, and full-length treatments. This allows the reader to scan the contents of a page and select relevant and useful information.

Don’t overuse links embedded within the document. These links are guideposts that aid the eye in scanning. Only the most pertinent links should be within the document. Don't let links become a distraction. Less relevant, but still useful links to additional information can be positioned in the margin or at the end of the document.

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind about navigational links:

• Link wording should be clear so that readers have a good idea of the content at the destination page. This minimizes reader frustration.
  
  
• Use wording in the link that relates to wording on the destination page so that readers feel there is a continuous flow.
  
  
• Link directly to the final destination content. Too often, readers select a link to view supporting details only to be dumped to a general information page with no direction.
  
  
• When linking to external Web sites, let the reader know that this is the case.
  
  
• Avoid saying “Click here” or “Follow this link.” It’s not natural.
  
  
• Don’t link to simple information that can be quickly presented on the current page. A sidebar might be a better choice.
  

Paper documents are not disappearing anytime soon but growing amounts of information are being distributed online. Review the sidebar called “Ten Tips for Presenting Online Content “and follow the suggestions. Your readers will get more value out of your content and return for more.

Vin D'Amico is a technical writer with Writing Assistance Inc. (wwww.http://writingassist.com). He can be reached at info@writingassist.com.