_posts/2016-10-26-writing-for-web-easy-writing-for-users-not.md
---
title: "Writing for the web is easy. Writing for users is not."
authors:
- christopher-goranson
- emileigh
- phoebe-espiritu
tags:
- content design
- user-centered design
excerpt: "Government websites are written for an extraordinarily diverse group of users. They come to our websites with different knowledge, backgrounds, and abilities. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to make sure the content we care about reaches the audience we want (and is useful to them)."
image: /assets/blog/content/cfpb-oah.jpg
hero: false
---
We all do it. Whether on Twitter, Facebook, or the comment section on a
news article, it’s easy to get our writing on the internet. Many of us
have personal websites or contribute to blogs. We work at organizations
with content management systems that allow us to publish pages with a
single button click.
The fact that it’s so easy to *publish content* can trick us into
thinking it’s equally easy to write *useful content.*
Government websites are written for an extraordinarily diverse group of
users. They come to our websites with different knowledge, backgrounds,
and abilities. Our content has to take into account many overlapping and
diverging characteristics. And it still needs to present a polished,
understandable message.
The crux is this: [We are not our
users](http://52weeksofux.com/post/385981879/you-are-not-your-user). We
*are* subject-matter experts. Many of us have spent our careers talking
to users. But when we understand a subject intimately, the hardest part
of writing is keeping our own perspective out of it. We can be blinded
by how much we know and by how much we care.
Fortunately, there are steps we can take to make sure the content we
care about reaches the audience we want (and is useful to them).
## Get a dedicated content strategist. Trust them.
Content on government websites doesn’t usually fail because it’s wrong,
it fails because it’s not written for users. A content strategist will
help projects develop a singular voice and maintain consistent style and
tone.
<figure>
<img src="{{site.baseurl}}/assets/blog/content/gds-content-ux.jpg" alt="">
<figcaption>The UK Government Digital Service's "Content is user experience" poster.</figcaption>
</figure>
A content strategist will juggle the competing needs and desires of
users. They’ll bring a fresh eye to frustrating jargon, technical terms,
and acronyms while focusing on using familiar words — an important
marker of plain language (and [plain language is required by
law](http://www.plainlanguage.gov/plLaw/)). Reporters, teachers, and
public speakers are all good examples of writers who use plain language
to make their topics more appealing and approachable.
Our colleagues at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have
been leaders in plain language with their [public-facing
content](http://www.consumerfinance.gov/).
Their website covers incredibly complex topics — banks, credit unions,
securities firms, payday lenders, mortgage-servicing operations, and
foreclosure relief services. They use content strategy and user-centered
design to make these intimidating subjects accessible to the general
public.
## Test content with real people
Identify people who represent a project’s primary user group and work
with a user experience designer to test content with those people.
([Here are some methods to get you started testing
content](https://18f.gsa.gov/2016/04/19/looking-at-the-different-ways-to-test-content/).)
Revise content and test again.
When our team developed the [Every Kid in a Park
website](https://everykidinapark.gov), early testing helped us identify
which phrases kids didn’t understand or care about. The content —
minimal for adults — was daunting for kids. Too many words were
distracting. [We learned things we never could have
guessed](https://18f.gsa.gov/2015/09/03/every-kid-in-a-park/). For
example, during testing, we learned that very few fourth graders know
what an envelope is.
## It’s never too late to fight for users
Inevitably — just when we think our content is in good shape — someone
at some level of final review will ask for rewrites. These may be real
requirements (your legal department flags something as being unlawful),
or they may represent additional opinions on the content itself. This
feedback can lead to valuable insight, but there’s no reason it has to
come hours before an anticipated launch. If final stakeholder review
might override the needs of users, consider enacting a content freeze. A
content freeze is an agreement to enforce a deadline before launch after
which no content can change. Maintaining a few days in between the last
rewrites and an official launch gives technical teams the opportunity to
fully test and prepare for launch, without any additional distractions.
It gives the content strategist time to do a final review for
consistency of style, voice, and tone. This doesn’t mean that the
content won’t change in the future, but it will allow for a better
launch.
Finally, it’s ok to develop a site incrementally. Websites should
continue to evolve long after a launch, reflecting the change and
evolution of an agency. For example, we're extremely proud of the work
our team has done on [betaFEC](https://beta.fec.gov), which launched
last fall and has consistently released new and revised content ever
since.
Continue to test what exists and make it better. Stay humble, listen to
users with empathy, and learn from mistakes. Users will be thankful.