Plain Language = Web Usability
There’s a huge amount of overlap between plain language and web usability guidelines. On the web, content and functionality drive the success of your site, and plain language is critical to both.
If making your web site usable and accessible isn’t enough of an incentive, the latest research from usability guru Jakob Nielsen confirms that plain language is critical to the bottom line, too – users won’t buy products they can’t find or get clear information about.
In Nielsen’s latest round of testing, more than half of the web site failures he observed were caused by poorly written content. If your web site is failing, customers aren’t buying your products or message. They also consume your time and resources when they need to call to complete a transaction or clarify a point.
On the web, as elsewhere, organizing for your readers; providing explicit navigation directions; and using clear, simple language work best: both for your company and your customers.
Jakob Nielsen “E-Commerce Usability: Bad Content Kills Sales” http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ecommerce.html
