The Web Content Style Guide: An Essential Reference for Online Writers, Editors, and Managers

From Getting Attention to Giving Attention

What makes a website great is what is below the surface, not what is above. Too many Web designers focus on the shiny stuff—the fancy graphics, the clever animations. Study after study shows that people are just not interested in this surface sheen. In fact, in many cases this visual-driven design gets in the way of people doing what they want to do.

Many marketers and advertisers are still struggling to come to terms with the Web. They are bringing old thinking and old skills to a new medium. It’s true that in an attention-deficit economy, the job of the marketer is very often to get attention for the brand. They constantly need to make their brand stand out in a global traffic jam of brands.

However, ...