1Serve the reader.
The reader has come to your site because they have something to do and need information to do it. Perform a thorough front-end analysis to identify who your target audience is and to understand what they need to do, then tailor your content to serve their objectives.
2Cut information overhead.
Information overhead is unusable information you must plow through to get to the usable information you’re really after. Document overhead includes:
• Fluff
• Introductory paragraphs that say nothing
• Words that tell you nothing
• Color that tells you nothing
• Graphics that serve no purpose other than ornamentation
• Icons whose meaning is unclear
• Any form of dishonesty, misrepresentation, or falsehood
Some principles of online writing
By Thom Quine (2004)