Writing a Web-based Product Description and a Print-based Product Description

The format and presentation of Web-based written material should be vastly different than that of traditional print media. The advantages of printed material do not extend far beyond portability. Printing a document, picking up a printed magazine or newspaper will always allow consumers to read the content “on the go” (e.g. commuting on a train or bus), but the widespread adoption of Internet-capable smart devices (e.g. BlackBerry, iPhone) are slowly eroding print’s portability advantage.

This post will explain the differences between writing a technical product description that will be published on the Web and writing a technical product description that will be delivered via traditional print media (e.g. binded book that ships with the product). I will examine the contrasts between the two writing styles in terms of the following:
- audience analysis
- component description
- vivid descriptions
- effective visuals
- format and organization

Audience Analysis

Audience analysis is incredibly important when writing technical content, regardless of delivery mechanism. Before writing any material, experienced technical writers often seek advice from marketing teams or various other subject matter experts to determine the goals of the intended audience. For companies with large budgets, entire audience analysis studies are done to understand the needs and skill level of readers. The goal is to ensure that the technical content does not overshoot or undershoot the goals of the audience. Authors of Web-based writing and print-based product descriptions must have a thorough understanding of the target audience. Does the audience need specifics on the product or simply an overview? In terms of level of detail, Web-based content does not need to provide a thorough description of each industry term related to the product. Instead, Web-based technical product descriptions can rely on hyperlinks to jump readers to outside sources that explain industry terms or concepts. Print-based should assume that readers do not have a reference to describe certain terms and concepts, so the product description itself should adequately explain relevant concepts. In other words, Web-based technical product descriptions can rely on outside sources to fill in the gaps on industry-accepted information; print-based writing should strive to be self-contained. However, the extent of this relies on understanding the target audience.

Component Description

Component descriptions are partly dependent on the audience analysis. If the audience requires specifics, then the product description should adequately explain structural and functional parts of a physical product. Again, Web-based technical documentation has the advantage of length, as component descriptions can be spread out over multiple Web pages and navigated by readers via hyperlinks. Readers need only click on the links to read about the components they’re interested in. Printed-based product descriptions need to have all content in a single file. Readers will have to search through all of the material to find the content that is relevant to them. Clearly, Web-based product descriptions are more usable (e.g. easier to navigate) than print-based.

Vivid Descriptions

Vivid descriptions are equally important in any type of media. In order to give Web audiences a thorough description of a product, vivid descriptions of components must be in place. This holds true for printed documentation as well.

Effective Visuals

Effective visuals contrast in Web-based and printed product descriptions. Audience-appropriate visuals are much more important in printed documentation than in Web-based documentation. When faced with a long, printed product description, readers may be reluctant to read through all of the text. Instead, they may search for graphics that convey information in an abbreviated manner…a picture is worth 1000 words. In Web-based product descriptions, text often appears more manageable because it is spread throughout several Web pages. Effective graphics are still important, but Web readers may read more of the supporting text. On the other hand, Web-based documentation clearly has an added advantage for visuals. Animation is possible on the Web, but figures are static in printed documentation.

Format and Organization

Format and organization of information is far more important in print-based documentation than in Web-based. Due to the hyperlinked nature of Web media, traditional beginning-middle-end information flows are difficult to enforce. Readers are free to jump around while reading content. In printed material, placement of information (spatially, chronologically and priority) is much more important. Printed information is typically read from front to back and the information should be organized accordingly. Web-based product descriptions should be written with the understanding that readers will haphazardly navigate through the content and may access a chunk of information from any starting point. If sections of a Web-based product description must be laid out chronologically, special navigation instructions should be provided.