You remember the days when flash movies on a web site were all the rage? Remember having to wait through long loading times just to view the same flash movie over and over again every time you came to the same web site?
Those were the days when technology with all its bells and whistles actually were:
- paramount,
- more important than usability,
- more important than what the end user wanted, and
- more important…way more important than content.
Those days are gone.
Today, with the evolution of the next generation of the web, popularly referred to Web 2.0, the web is all about content, connection and collaboration. Today end users of your web site expect to:
- easily access the content they need,
- exchange this content with others,
- comment on this content,
- receive syndicated content from your site based upon their interests, and
- post their own content to your site.
The elements of usability and sociability are now the key characteristics of online content. Static web pages pushing content out to an audience, out of date web pages, and pages filled with broken or outdated links are a thing of the past in today’s culture of the web.
What this means is that it is not about the amount of content you have on your web site, it is the depth with which your end users engage with your content. This also means that it is as much about the content you generate on your web site as it is about the content generated by your end users. Sound scary? It isn’t really. Your web site is an organic exchange with your audience. But make no mistake, this exchange falls within your “rules of engagement”. Any online dynamic space sets out the rules of engagement so that all visitors know what is expected of them and what they can expect in return.
Now about that content.
The first thing you need to keep in mind when formulating your online content is how people engage with content online. Here are a few important things to remember on how end users will interact with your web site:
- Non-linear content: The experience of your content online is not linear. End users will jump around all throughout your content, clicking on links, reading a sentence or photo caption here and there, coming back to read more about one story, jumping off to fill out a form or respond to a survey on your site, and then returning to click on another link. I think you’ve got the idea. Your content on each page should be self-contained or self-explanatory and not rely on the end user to click through to other web pages to understand the gist of your important points.
- Scannable content: Content is scanned online. The end user will quickly scan content on your web pages. The online medium is not the place where your audience will consume vast amounts of the written word.
- Graphic content: Treat your content as a graphic element. Chunk your content by using short sentences, short paragraphs, insert links, insert headings and sub-headings, use bullet points for long lists. Long paragraphs and endless scrolling pages are not easily accessible and visually they will not engage your audience.
Finally, one of the most important elements is the organization of the content of your web site. The blueprint for your web site content, commonly called “information architecture”, is the key building blog to creating accessible online navigation. My next column will explore the role that information architecture and navigation play in providing engaging content online for your constituencies.
In this age of online content, my next few columns will focus on how to develop, maintain and strategically use your content to service your audience, grow your base of support, and support your organization’s overall mandate.
Pattie LaCroix has provided strategic leadership in crafting integrated communications and fundraising strategies to nonprofits for more than a decade. As CEO of Catapult Media she is passionate about the power of storytelling in engaging your audience and building support for your work. You can reach Pattie at www.catapultmedia.ca.
