I’m a big fan of 52 weeks of UX, but I’m not entirely sure about this latest article.
Here’s how it starts:
One recommendation, however, rang false to me: keep your text short. The author recommends this because “People don’t read on the Web”. Instead, the author claimed, they “scan” text instead.
There are several problems with this assumption, however. First, people do actually read on the Web…scanning is simply the first step in the process. Second, short text can be just as poorly written as long text (and often is). Third, people actually seek out and enjoy reading longer texts.
The people scan, don’t read argument is based on much user testing and relates to all web pages, not just those that feature articles and other text-based information.
The vast, and I mean really vast, majority of people don’t regularly read long articles on the internet. In fact, many people don’t read long articles at all and the web is, frankly, a place to occasionally shop and use Facebook.
It’s easy for web-savvy folk, especially those of us who work in the design and/or web industry, to forget that we are still in something of a minority.
The ‘write short’ advice is valid because it applies to most web users.
Additionally, e-readers like the Kindle, the Nook, and the iPad are exploding in use, while services like Instapaper also suggest that people desire to read longer texts with less distraction.
This is the crux of it for me.
The above paragraph can’t be used as an argument for copywriters to abandon succinct web copy. Those devices are great and selling well, but their share of internet usage is surely miniscule.
And as for Instapaper? Well, it’s awesome. I love it. But ask the average internet user what it is and they won’t have a clue.
Writing for the web is about usability and audience. If you’re a designer writing for other designers, make your copy as long as you like.
But if you’re audience is less specific, stick to convention and focus on copy that’s short, concise and easy to read.
