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Write Instructions as if you DON’T know...
A Web Copywriting Tip by Nick Usborne
Have you ever been puzzled by the instructions for how to configure a home theatre, set up a DVD player or build a piece of self-assembly furniture?
Instructions are often hard to understand because they were written by someone who already KNOWS how to complete the task.
In other words, they are writing from a place of prior knowledge.
Good instructions are written from the point of view of someone who has no prior knowledge, and DOESN’T know what to do.
There is web-writing a lesson here...
When you want someone to sign up, buy, download or register...be careful how you structure and write the process.
If you have purchased a few things online, you probably know what I mean.
You want to buy something, but the process of doing so really gets confusing at some point.
These instructions are usually confusing because they have been written by someone who is intimately familiar with the process already, and sees every step as blindingly obvious.
Hence the often-whispered refrain from webmasters and designers, “Some visitors are just too stupid to use our site.”
The answer to the problem?
Do some usability testing on your key action pages with people who have never been to your site before.
Get feedback from people who DON’T know how to use your site. And watch carefully for the places where they stumble and get confused.
Back to the Web Copywriting Tips Page...
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