Writing for the Web Part II

Writing for the Web: Part II: Web Site Components, Layout and Navigation

In the previous part of this article we discussed what good writing involves. We also mentioned that writing for the Web involves more that just good writing.

We concluded the first part indicating that a website has other elements besides content pages. We will look at website structure in this page.

What Makes a Website?

All websites have a few standard components.

• CONTENT: There are different kinds of pages, such sales pages, search engine optimized information pages (designed to attract traffic from search engines), and incidental pages that help build visitor confidence and trust, such as an About Us page, Contact Details and Privacy Policy statement.
• LAYOUT: The page content and product graphics are laid out on a page along good design principles to create an impression of professionalism and also to direct visitors' attention to the key message.
• NAVIGATION: A navigation scheme allows visitors to move around the site by clicking links to other pages. A good website would make the links clearly indicate what the reader will find on the linked page.

We would be discussing the content part in later parts of this article. In this part we focus on the layout and navigation. You must understand their significance if you want to write effective content. Even the best content can get lost otherwise.

What is a Good Layout?

Above all, a good layout highlights the core message. It does not distract with extraneous elements. The extraneous elements can be any thing that tends to hide the message you want to convey. For example, if the page is overcrowded with many messages, and graphics and other devices just for effect, your main message can get lost.

A visitor looking for something to buy is not likely to stop at a site simply because it has been colorfully laid out. If the person does not immediately recognize that what you offer is what the person wants, he or she would just click away.

A simple, clean and tasteful layout that immediately directs the visitor's eye to your offer is the kind of layout that starts the selling process. (You then go on to complete the process with your content pages.)

And What's So Big About Navigation?

Without links to other pages, your visitor will never know that those pages are there. Unlike in a brick and mortar store, visitors cannot find their way around a website that lacks navigational links. That's the starting point of navigation.

Next comes the issue of designing the navigation scheme. You can provide cute links thrown all over a page. It might even be very interesting to a person who has time to play around. However, for a busy executive searching for, say, details of the next flight from London to Brussels, it is a familiar look and feel that will keep the person from clicking away.

And familiar navigation typically involves:

• Clearly labeled links to other pages in the top row or left column
• Links to important incidental pages such as About Us and Contact Us at both the top and bottom of the page
• A sitemap page that has links to all pages of the site. Links to the sitemap page is included in all the other pages, typically at the bottom of the page along with links to Privacy Policy page etc.

The normal pattern outlined above can be changed for sales and landing pages, because you might not want the visitor go wandering around. These pages might contain only essential links that help the visitor to complete the business transaction.

Both the layout and navigation of a Web page can thus help or hinder the website's purpose.

In the next part of Writing for the Web, we will look at how to write informative Web content.

Writing for web Part 1 | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V