"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

The 1950's Popeye cartoon character, Whimpy, recited these words — the sum total of his vocabulary — whenever he spoke.

If Whimpy built a Web site upon the premise of his famous one-liner, would you take him seriously? Even with the most tempting and luscious hamburger graphics?

While the message is certainly clear, the only fitting name for his ploy is BurgerFraud.com. Whimpy would do far better with a new, healthier strategy: A voracious carnivore now a repentant vegetarian and a spokesperson for PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals).

Core principles
How does Whimpy's story impact your Web presence?

Several principles come into play here:

• Concise, clear writing
• Credibility
• Inflated, unsubstantiated propositions

While people are ravenous for information on the Web, rarely are Web pages read word by word. Instead, your audience will first scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences. A study by Jakob Nielsen and John Morkes "found that 79 percent of test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word."

Your Web site communicates with words that balance other elements, such as site design, graphics and navigation, to name a few. But even with the best design elements your message must be clear, concise and focused. Ignore this principle and people will leave in a hurry. It's one facet of what we call "user experience."

Employ scannable text
Be considerate to your audience and apply these methods:

• Use meaningful sub-headings
• Highlight keywords
• Active instead of passive voice
• One idea per paragraph

As an example, consider the following two messages.

(1) Can I Pay You Next Tuesday for a Hamburger Today?
I am a cartoon actor in need of massive fat and carbohydrates to stave off a depressive syndrome and stay employed. A minimum investment will surely guarantee huge returns from international television licensing agreements and royalty payments. The prospectus was written in the 1950s, but it is still a solid opportunity. After all, with a cholesterol level over 300, I'm still alive, aren't I?

Are you ready to pony up a "minimum investment" for "huge returns?"

The example is plodding at best — a passive, first-person appeal from a pathetic, washed-up cartoon character with a six-decade-old prospectus. Outside the fact that it smacks of a joke, is there a compelling reason to hold the reader's attention? Real facts are absent, thereby lacking credibility. And the boastful claim, "guarantee huge returns," wastes a Web user's time.

Credibility is important for Web users; your audience wants to trust who is behind the information. Do some homework and provide balanced design elements: high-quality graphics; good writing; simple navigation; and outbound links to show that you're confident about the substance of your words.

Let's take another approach.

(2) New Mini Series Wins Prime Time Rating Sweep
Fall television season kick-off, "Burger Banzai," reigns in big-name advertiser revenue. Shear audience size coupled with Hollywood's most successful character actor push parent company, Value Media, stock price up 20%. Major brokerage firms issue "buy and hold" investment status.

Here we have an upbeat sub-heading followed by an active voice, supported by confirming outbound sources. Most readers would want to learn more and retain the information based on its credibility.

Closing thoughts
Clearly, an over-the-top approach is a turn off. Employ concise, balanced (and when necessary), substantiated copy. Always be considerate of your audience. And remember: According to Roger Black, author of Web Sites That Work, "The only person that will read every word on your Web site is your mother"

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