Is short web content better than long web content?

People have strong opinions in favour of short or long web content. However, the best answer is probably “it depends”.

Arguments for short web content

1.  People don't read on the web - they skim.

Nielsen’s 2008 research showed that people read 28% of the words on a web page – at most. So why write much at all?

www.useit.com/alertbox/percent-text-read.html 

 

2.  Short chunks of text are easier to understand.

Accepted web style breaks up copy into short chunks for easier reading. Plain English also recommends short sentences and paragraphs.

Some people warn that you can chunk copy too much and break the so-called “3 click rule”. However, this idea was probably debunked in 2003.

http://web.archive.org/web/20041011074218/www.uie.com/articles/three_click_rule/

 

Arguments for long web content

1.  Web readers know how to scroll these days

We used to say that all important information must fit “above the fold”. But research in 2007 showed that people will now scroll through longer text. If it’s worth it.

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/blasting-the-myth-of

 

2.  Long copy may sell better

There's some evidence that long copy is better for selling products on websites.

www.marketingexperiments.com/improving-website-conversion/long-

But this might also depend on the type of product.

www.copyblogger.com/the-long-and-short-of-copywriting

 

3. Some SEO specialists recommend at least 500 words

Some SEO specialists say that the home page and every landing page should be at least 500 words to ensure it get indexed.

www.seobook.com/archives/001986.shtml

Other SEO people say this is a myth.

http://footinmouthdisease.net/

”It depends” arguments

1. It depends on the readers

Neilsen’s research (2007) suggests that the best length for articles on a website depends on the readers. Many readers need short copy. For some readers, you need to write comprehensively.

www.useit.com/alertbox/content-strategy.html

2. Relevance is more important than length

Perhaps it doesn't matter whether web copy is short or long. The most important consideration is always relevance.

www.clickz.com/clickz/column/1696035/gr8-web-copy

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