The Super Page - Making Websites Persuasive with Content Density

By David Hillis (@davidhillis) Oct 19, 2010 Comments

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Conventional wisdom says web content should be concise. However, blind application of this rule is a mistake — there are good cases for lengthy, dense web content.

Web writers have been trained to write punchy value propositions and short copy. From a design and information architecture perspective the goal is to preserve the "white space." Inline tabs that divide pages into bite size chunks are in vogue as is site architecture that divides content into many thematically organized sections and sub-sections. If you look at the "experts" on persuasion, traditional advertising and marketing agencies, their own websites are often high-style / low-content Flash websites bent to maximize brand.

So the best way to create persuasive web content is to follow the lead from the agencies and web copy writing experts, right? Wrong. When it comes to your website there may be value in short copy; but it may not be the most persuasive content for your visitors. In fact, conventional wisdom may be flat out wrong.

Information Density Has a Place

Look for instance at the influential teachings of Edward Tufte who preaches Information Density. Although Tufte has no patience for superfluous graphics and text, he does recommend providing users with meaty prose that conveys deep information. A two-page Word document is more effective than a PowerPoint in Tufte's view.

According to Web content guru Gerry McGovern the slick agency websites are completely ineffective. Gerry has written a great article on this topic (see: Web Design: The Reason Why Ad Agency Websites are Truly Awful).

Or, for a more conventional example, look at Amazon.com. Amazon probably knows more about web retailing and merchandizing than any company in the world. Is their approach high design, whitespace, witty headlines and short copy? No, it's quite the opposite. Once Amazon gets you on a product page they never let you go until you make a purchase. Review after review, product images, videos, "look inside," specifications, and more.

I call these long-form web pages, Super Pages. They are the workhorses of your website and are designed to keep a user engaged on a page until they take action.

How Amazon Sells the Kindle

Amazon Selling the Kindle The #1 selling product on Amazon is the Kindle. The web page for Kindle weighs in at a hefty 10,000 words and over 60,000 characters. This is all on one web page.

There are no inline tabs or fancy AJAX. The content just rolls on and on like the Mississippi (dare I say Amazon) river. Amazon also commits the cardinal sin of repeating the same information on a page several times. And damn if you do not want to buy a Kindle by the time you get to the end. It comes across like the greatest invention of all time. You have to have one.

In contrast, the web page for the Nook at BarnesAndNoble.com has 300 words and 7 sub-pages. What's more effective? You be the judge.

I am also a big fan of the content for the Motley Fool investment site. They send me emails that ramble through thousands of words and subtly drop teasers that keep me scrolling until I am ready to sign-up. It's Super Page content at its best.