When it comes to mobile, usability certainly is crucial, but you also need to know how to create content for your mobile users.
Reading content from a mobile device is different from reading content on a laptop. Users interact differently with mobile data than they traditionally have done with web based data and content must be created with that in mind. For instance, studies have shown that users pay most attention to the top two-thirds of the screen and content should be optimized with that in mind.
Consider these issues and create a strategy for content before you begin start building your mobile application and then your iPhone application developer or Android application developer can help build an application that works with your strategy.
Here are 4 tips to help you write mobile content like a pro.
Start with a Killer Headline
First of all make sure that you keep you headlines short and sweet. You don’t want headlines that take up half the space on your screen and push key content down below the fold. Beyond that, you want to make sure that a busy mobile user can take a quick look at your title and not only know what the story is about but be interested in it. Assume that your users are busy and distracted while reading your content and that you need something brief with a lot of pop to grab their attention.
Grab Their Attention Early
Space is limited on mobile screens so you want to make sure you start off with key points and information that will grab a user’s attention. If your headline can spark some interest you must have strong enough early content to keep them reading. Its an old copywriters adage that the point of each line of copy is to keep the user reading the next. Perhaps no where is this more true than with mobile.
Don’t Forget Images
It has been shown in studies that on mobile devices people view images more than they look at text. Their eyes are just naturally drawn to the images over text. Don’t forget that it is the natural tendency of human eyes to be drawn to images and keep that in mind while creating content. A well placed and relevant image can help interest in your article.
Make It Concise
Writing more isn’t necessarily better. It’s easy to ramble on; it takes effort to be succinct. Concise writing takes time and work and when it come mobile, concise writing is indispensable. Think about the size of the screen and you will understand why. The key isn’t just to try and be short but rather to write what is needed and carefully edit so you can express the ideas in a succinct, cogent way. Make your content as long as it needs to be without wasting space. Make sure you format your text in short paragraphs that aren’t intimidating to readers. Short paragraphs require less concentration and are preferred by mobile readers.
Like anything else writing great mobile copy requires practice. There isn’t a magic wand you can wave and be a master but if you follow these principles and focus on writing copy that complies with these ideas you will find more users reading your copy on their mobile devices.
Photo: William Hook (Flikr) http://bit.ly/1PEwXJf