Use white space to help improve visual hierarchy of your website. Grouping content together can help draw attention to the important areas of the site and help people find what they’re looking for.

Break long paragraphs into short 1-2 sentence paragraphs to keep ideas simple and easier to read. Emails are usually written this way for clarity and so can your website content. Scanners often read the top line of each paragraph to gauge whether or not the topic is useful to them before reading the rest. Example: Capilano University has earned an international reputation for quality teaching, programs and services. We strive to instill the knowledge, skills, motivation and attitudes that will enable our students to become independent thinkers and learners, and to contribute effectively in a rapidly changing world. Capilano University is well known for providing a solid academic foundation and is committed to developing new and innovative programs in response to market demand. We offer a complete range of preparatory courses, arts and sciences courses, business and management studies, creative and applied arts programs, health and human services programs, plus a range of services in support of student learning and success. Credentials awarded include bachelor degrees, associate degrees, post-baccalaureate diplomas, advanced diplomas, certificates and statements of completion.

Even when it might seem obvious, define your acronyms at least once to help prevent miscommunication. Example:

• Continuing Studies and Executive Education (CSEE)
• What-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG)

 

When you’re an expert, things appear to be much simpler than they seem. To help people understand your content, use words that a non-expert can understand. Not only does this make it easier to read and scan, people will spend less time trying to understand the meaning behind the text.

When writing for the web, edit your content to omit needless words. These words usually add fluff to your content, make important content less prominent, and increase page scrolling. Examples of needless words can be:

• whether or not
• in actual fact
• due to the fact
• in regard to
• literally
• presently

How often do you see links like these on a website?:

• http://www.capilanou.ca
• click here
• https://www.google.ca/search?q=capilano+university+logo&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwif_tW7wubTAhVI9mMKHZ2eDtEQ_AUIBigB&biw=1920&bih=941#imgrc=3gc95mdmvA45iM

These types of links can be seen as untrustworthy as it’s hard to tell where they go. The best practice is to use descriptive links. For example: “Many programs and courses can be found on the Capilano University Website”