Every article on a corporate website can serve as an entry point for customers to learn about products, services, or industry knowledge. However, customers often spend very little time on a page. If the summary is vague, lengthy, or filled with jargon, customers are likely to close the page, and the article's value fails to be conveyed. A well-written summary reduces comprehension costs, allowing customers to quickly determine whether the article is worth reading, thereby increasing the practical use of the content.
Summaries Should Address the Customer's Most Pressing Questions
When reading a summary, customers typically have an implicit question: How does this article relate to me? What problem can it help solve? Therefore, the summary should clearly state the core topic and practical value of the article from the start. For example, if the article is about content inventory during a website redesign, the summary could directly say, "How to review old pages before a redesign to avoid content loss and duplication," rather than merely writing, "This article introduces some considerations for website redesign."
The specific approach is: first, identify the target audience for the article (e.g., corporate website managers, operations staff) and the questions they are most likely to search with. Then, summarize in one sentence the answer or method the article provides. For example: "This article offers a website content inventory checklist to help you systematically organize old pages before a redesign, deciding whether to keep, merge, or delete them." With such a summary, customers can immediately see the relevance of the article to their needs.
Summaries Should Be Concise, Avoiding Information Overload
A summary is not a mini-version of the article; it does not need to cover all points. If a summary is packed with multiple pieces of information, customers may struggle to grasp the main idea. The ideal summary length is generally between 50 and 100 words, using two or three sentences to convey the core content.
When writing a summary, start with one sentence explaining the problem the article addresses, followed by another sentence hinting at the method or perspective the article offers. For example: "The article explains how to plan routine maintenance for a corporate website after launch, covering aspects such as section structure, keyword layout, and content update frequency." However, avoid listing too many aspects, as the summary may then resemble a table of contents. If the article indeed covers multiple aspects, select only the most critical one or two points.
Additionally, avoid using industry jargon or internal terms in the summary unless these terms are commonly used in customer searches. For instance, if customers may not be familiar with "section structure," consider using a more straightforward phrase like "website section division."
Summaries Should Use the Customer's Language, Not Internal Language
Many corporate website summaries are written from the company's perspective, such as "Our company is committed to providing quality services" or "This article introduces our product advantages." Such summaries hold no value for customers because they care about their own problems, not the company's self-introduction.
The key to reducing comprehension costs is to speak from the customer's context. For example, for an article about "how to choose keywords," the summary could be: "When selecting keywords, besides search volume, consider search intent and competition difficulty. This article provides a simple screening method to help you find keywords suitable for your website." Here, there is no "we," but rather a direct provision of a usable method for the customer.
Moreover, use specific verbs in the summary, such as "provide," "explain," "list," or "compare," so customers know what the article offers. Avoid vague verbs like "discuss" or "analyze," as they do not clearly indicate the article's actual content.
Summaries Should Highlight the Article's Uniqueness
When customers search for a topic, they encounter many similar articles. The summary needs to make customers feel this article is worth clicking, rather than being generic filler. Therefore, the summary can reflect the article's specific angle, practical tools, or unique methods.
For example, for an article on "website update frequency," the summary could be: "Updating a website is not always better. This article offers reasonable update frequency recommendations based on different stages of a corporate website and reminds you to avoid updating for the sake of updating." Here, emphasizing "different stages" and "avoid updating for the sake of updating" gives the summary a targeted focus.
However, uniqueness should not rely on exaggeration or absolute expressions, such as "only," "best," or "100% effective," as these words reduce credibility and increase comprehension costs.
Summaries Should Align with Article Content, Avoiding Misleading
The summary serves as a preview, so it must align with the actual content of the article. If the summary promises content that the article does not include, customers will be disappointed after clicking and may question the website's reliability. For instance, if the summary says "provides a checklist" but the article lacks one, customers will feel deceived.
When writing a summary, consider writing it after the article is complete, or first outline the main sections of the article and then condense them into a summary. This ensures the summary accurately reflects the content. Additionally, any specific methods, steps, or cases mentioned in the summary must have corresponding content in the article.
The Layout and Position of Summaries Also Affect Comprehension
Summaries typically appear below the article title and before the main text, and sometimes in list page cards. Regardless of where they appear, summaries should stand alone as a paragraph, not be mixed with the body text. Font size and color can be slightly differentiated, but avoid excessive styling.
On list pages, summaries often have character limits, such as displaying only two lines. In such cases, place the most important information at the beginning so that even if truncated, customers can see the core content. For example: "How to inventory old content before a redesign? This article provides an actionable checklist..." Even if the latter part is cut off, customers can still understand the article is about an inventory checklist.
Common Mistakes When Writing Summaries
A common mistake is writing the summary as the article's opening. For example, "With the development of the internet, companies increasingly value website construction..." Such an opening-style summary lacks substance and wastes customers' time. Another mistake is using clichés like "This article aims to" or "The author believes," which are meaningless to customers.
Another mistake is stuffing keywords into the summary to optimize search. However, the summary is for customers, not search engines. Keywords can appear naturally, but they should not compromise readability.
Conclusion
Reducing customer comprehension costs essentially means reducing the friction customers face in obtaining information. As the first door to an article, the summary's quality directly influences whether customers are willing to enter. By focusing on customer problems, using concise and straightforward language, and accurately summarizing the article's value, summaries can fulfill their role effectively. Next time you write an article, take a few extra minutes to refine the summary, and you will notice a significant improvement in customer acceptance of the content.
