Write your content
Less is more
People don’t read every word on a webpage.
They skim over the content. They could be reading on their phone, in a busy office, or on a train with inconsistent wifi. When someone is under stress, they have less brain power to absorb information.
We need to structure our writing to work with skimming, not against it.
The less your write, the more people read.
The less information you give the user, the more they can focus.
Just enough information
Start with the most important thing for the user to do. Your audience may leave the page at any time.
As experts, we want to give users all the information. But that makes it hard for most people to know what to do. Focus users with your structure and link out to further explanation on other pages. Have them call if they have an unusual situation.
Shorten instructions as much as you can.
Any information that is not critical belongs at the end of the page, with clear headings.