Web guru Jakob Nielsen on the importance of clear web copy:

In research on how people read websites we found that 79 percent of our test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word.

Credibility can be increased by high-quality graphics, good writing, and use of outbound hypertext links.

And the kicker:

Measured usability was dramatically higher for [more concise copy] (58% better) and for [scannable copy] (47% better). And when we combined three ideas for improved writing style into a single site, the result was truly stellar: 124% better usability.

Got that? Copywriting matters. Good copy can more than double the effectiveness of your site.

The incredible thing about this article is the date at the top: October 1997. And yet we’re still having these discussions.

Thanks to my good friend Gene for reminding me of this oldie.

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