Everybody has their own opinion on what constitutes good web design; opinions which will be based mainly on how they think a website should be set out, how it should look and how it should perform but when it comes to the amount of copy on website there are generally two opposing camps; those who believe websites should contain as much information as possible, and others who insist that the copy conveys only the salient points.
Everyone is Different
It’s a well-known fact that most website visitors don’t read every word on a page; they hunt for and extract only the pieces of information they want. That said, the internet is a vast place and populated by people with totally opposing tastes and ideas. So, it follows that there will also be those who prefer their web copy to be long and descriptive.
Best Method?
So, how much information should there be on a site? Does it makes good sense for a site to have so much information on it that visitors can learn everything they need to know about a product or service before deciding whether or not to contact the company?
Or is the ‘less is more’ approach the way to go? Display the minimum amount of product information so that visitors will have to make that all-important first contact to discover more, and where a salesperson will hopefully persuade them to buy which works sometimes but not always.
There will always be differences of opinion on the issue of copy quantity, because in reality there can never be a ‘one size fits all’ but as a website owner, when you ask yourself how much copy is enough? The answer is quite simply, however much works best for you!
Until next time.
