As I sit at my desk this afternoon, I feel a little distracted. Not by anything in particular, but focus isn’t coming to me. Something’s not quite right. Let’s try and see what’s wrong with this picture.
My desk. Not very tidy.
Oh yeah, that’s it. My desk is a total mess. Let’s see what I can do about this…
My desk. In new state of zen tidyness.
Yes, yes, I know. I am the greatest tidier-upper ever to walk the earth. And what’s this? I feel my focus rushing back! My colleague Jon was telling me a while ago about some CEO or company director who’s book he’d read recently. He said that the guy claims to tidy his desk 4 times every day. There must be a reason for that. What vital information can we glean from it?
- He is a very messy guy.
- Tidying up is GOOD.
Yes, as much as some of us hate it, tidying up is a good thing. Having a clear environment to work in helps you focus and helps reduce your stress levels. Tidy offices and businesses means less stressed and overall happier and more productive employees. A tidy place to relax is also really good at helping you unwind outside the workplace too.
“That’s all very well Alex, and I can see that you are a great tidier-upper… but how does this apply to websites?”
Well, pretty much the same goes for websites, really. Studies have shown that messy websites stress people out and make them lose their focus. People’s stress levels go up when finding the information they need is confusing or complicated. Simple, straightforward design and a clear layout help users get the results they want without anything hindering them, and that makes them happy. And all businesses wants happy customers.
So, when you’re writing for your website, remember these few golden rules.
- Be clear and concise. Don’t waffle on for ages, or talk needlessly about things that aren’t relevant.
- Make sure your website’s pages are tidy. Don’t throw images and stuff all over the place, and format all the text like a typesetter who’s been pushed over the edge.
- If you need to put a lot of information on a page, try to seperate it into blocks. Consider using bold formatting to highlight key words in a paragraph. This will help people scanning through the text get an idea of what you’re saying, without having to read every word.
And that’s enough for now. Until next time, I wish you all a stress-free and tidy day.
