3. As discussed in class, why do you feel Headlines are so important in web content? Please provide me with an example of a headline you clicked on recently (submit the exact headline including a screenshot) and outline in detail why you clicked it. In question #1, I asked why it resonated with you. For this question, I am asking why you actually clicked on it. This cannot be the same headline as question #1 (8 Marks)
Headlines are so important for web content for countless reasons. Its not only the first thing people see to determine whether they want to keep reading or more but it can determine everything that user does and if a headline does not appeal to someone they will never, ever read the content you put out there. This means content can go to waste due to a poorly crafted headline. The first initial impression matters, and without a compelling headline bounce rates are likely to go through the roof. A headline is a promise to a benefit that the audience is looking for and it should solve a goal and spike interest at once. If its not worth anything why would anyone want to read more? Headlines also help improve readability for the user.
As we’ve learnt through multiple classes, people scan, they don’t read. Headlines are an easy way to break up content making it easier for anyone to look through because it can help readers ensure they are in the right place and what they are looking for can easily be found in content under headlines. This ensures readers are where they should be instead of leaving users feeling confused or frustrated on where to find information. This helps build credibility and trust ensuring that they find what they were expecting. Making it hard for the user will drive them from your site as they wont want to engage. For example “Ways to keep your dog safe and make sure they don’t get lost with their pet ID on” its much harder to read then if a headline were to say “5 ways to keep your dog safe with a pet ID tag.” It includes a number for structure, is simple, consise and not overly lengthy. We don’t have long attention spans as humans and to cater to this, headlines help make it easier then just a bunch of long text with no clear separation indicator. We learnt in class that if you want people to read the content you put out there, you need to have a good reason why they should. The headline acts as this good reason because it’s the shinny hook that lures the fish and guides users to the next thing.
Headlines need to make an impression since they will be shared and it’s the only opportunity we have to grab attention in a world of extremely over produced content. Headlines are authority. They tap into user psychology and curiosity because people are usually clicking on something they are interested in and when we understand that, insightful headlines can be crafted to serve a purpose. Overall they are important for web content since they can capture attention, improve readability, improve user experience and tell a story.
Headline: 13 Delicious Recipes for a Fancy Coffee Mood
This “13 Delicious Recipes for a Fancy Coffee Mood” is a headline that I clicked on recently. Immediately I recognized the number “13”, something that stood out to me and made me think that the article had some sense of structure and promise to it. To me, It seemed as if there were a variety of ideas or options to explore surrounding coffee drinks. I was curious to what these 13 recipes were, what kind of ingredients they had and how I could easily make them at home. The headline seemed promising to something different since I’m used to basic and familiar coffee recipes. I also became really interested just by the word “delicious”, making the headline extremely appealing since I cannot drink plain coffee by itself. I drink coffee almost everyday and I’m always eager to learn more about how I can incorporate new beans, flavored shots or creamers into my cup to make it taste better and more exciting. “Delicious” made me think that these recipes would be something worth trying, and this definitely sparked my interest even more. I’ve been tired of the same coffee routine lately and “fancy coffee mood” made It seem out of the ordinary, allowing myself to indulge in something new and experience new flavors. Overall, I clicked on this headline because it offered a variety, sounded delicious and promised something different from what I am used to seeing online about coffee recipes. I was sparked by curiosity and it made me want to think about new ideas that would make me enjoy my coffee habits even more.
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